The Bard's Tales: A Fell Purpose
by BuggyQ
Summary: Our heroic trio is caught up in a mystery when a Resistance leader dies under suspicious circumstances just before an important battle with the D’Harans.
1. Chapter 1

_**The Bard's Tales: A Fell Purpose**_

**Chapter 1**

_Author's Note: I'm a mystery lover, particularly the classic British parlor mysteries (Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers are my two favorites). So it was inevitable that I'd try my hand at a mystery. Apologies to fans of those two remarkable women if I fail to live up to their example (which is also inevitable)._

_A warning to my frequent reviewers, whom I adore: there's not a lot of romance in this, and not a lot of action, either. (It's not like there's a lot of swordplay and snogging in __Murder At The Vicarage__, after all). It's a rather thinky piece, though I did try to throw an occasional bone to all you Richard/Kahlan loveydoviness fans. (No disparagement intended--as anyone who read The Blessed Sun can probably tell.)_

_Summary: Our heroic trio is caught up in a mystery when a Resistance leader dies under suspicious circumstances just before an important battle with the D'Harans._

_Disclaimer: Kahlan, Zedd and Richard aren't mine. Any similarities to show episodes, mystery novels and/or Remington Steele are entirely the butler's fault. You want money, see him._

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"To the day Darken Rahl's rule over the Midlands ends!" Hugh Marsters said, raising his glass. The other men in the room nodded, clinking their glasses together and drinking heartily.

"And may that day be hastened by our efforts in the next ten days," Victor Thorpe added, and there was another round of clinks and swallows.

"Now, gentlemen, to business," Marsters said. He leaned over a small table set before the fire and pointed at a spot on the map laid out there, a spot a few hours' ride from where they sat in Hugh's home, Crutchley Manor. "This is where I think we should make our stand. We draw the D'Harans through here," he drew his finger across a small valley with thick forest along its flanks, "so they won't be able to take full advantage of their numbers." He took a deep breath and rubbed the back of his hand absently across his mustache. "Any thoughts?"

Stuart Addington seemed nervous, studying the map carefully, but Thorpe didn't hesitate. "What if we kept back a reserve, holding them here?" He pointed to a small draw screened by a forested area just west of the spot Marsters had pointed out. "When the D'Harans attack, we could draw them forward by feigning a retreat. Then, when they follow, the reserve comes in behind. We'd have them encircled. And if they don't take the bait, the reserve is still in position to hit their flank."

Marsters grinned at Thorpe, then coughed. He took another breath. "That's why you're here, Victor. That's brilliant." He coughed again, and frowned.

"Is something wrong, Hugh?" Victor said.

Hugh shook his head, but he didn't answer. He had his hand to his chest, and he seemed to be breathing hard.

"Sit down, Hugh," Barris Talbot said, taking Hugh's arm and guiding him to a chair near the fire. He sat heavily in it, leaning forward, his hands on his knees and still breathing rapidly.

"Is there a healer near?" Victor asked Arthur Cray, another of the Resistance leaders in the room.

Arthur looked surprised. "No, not really. A half-hour's ride, at least."

"Go," Victor said, kneeling in front of Hugh. His lips were turning blue, and he looked almost frightened. When Arthur hesitated, Victor stood quickly and grabbed his shoulder. "Look at him, man! He needs help! Go!"

Cray ran from the room, and Victor turned back to Hugh just in time to see him pitch forward out of the chair. He lay motionless on the floor before the fire, his eyes half-closed. Victor knelt at his side, stunned at how quickly the situation had changed. He put his face near Hugh's, and felt a faint breath, but that breath wasn't followed by another.

Victor sat up, feeling helpless, looking around at the others, hoping one of them would have some idea what to do.

"Is he--?" Graydon Barber began, then stopped, unwilling to voice the question everyone in the room was thinking.

Victor looked back down at Hugh, and there was no life in his eyes. "He's gone," he said. _And that means I'm in charge now_, he thought to himself, and pushed aside the feeling of dread that accompanied the thought. He looked back down at Hugh's body, grim-faced. _I'll do my best to live up to your example, Hugh_. "Go tell his wife. And send word to the Seeker. We'll need the services of the Mother Confessor."

"The Confessor?" Graydon said, surprised. "You think he was murdered?"

"We're about to go into the largest battle the Resistance has fought against the D'Harans," Victor said. "Do you really want to do that worrying about whether you can trust the man next to you?"

**********

A week later, Kahlan, Richard and Zedd rode into the courtyard of Crutchley Manor in a torrential downpour, which seemed somehow appropriate for the situation. They'd been relatively close when they got the word that Hugh Marsters was dead, but it was still amazing they'd been able to get the message so quickly. _Bad news travels fast_, Richard thought, and Hugh Marsters' death was the worst news possible. He'd been a crucial Resistance leader, which was why the plans for a major assault on the D'Harans had centered on him. _This is the worst possible time to lose him_, Richard thought.

Victor Thorpe met them at the door. "Thank you for coming so quickly," he said. "We don't have much time left. The D'Harans will be arriving for the campaigning season soon, and we have to hit them before they have a chance to do any more damage here."

Thorpe led them in to the great hall, where they were offered blankets to dry off with. Kahlan took the opportunity to study both their surroundings, and the man who'd met them. The hall was dark and slightly oppressive, in spite of the roaring fire in the great fireplace at one end. There was a cluster of chairs placed near the fire, along with a few small tables. The rest of the hall was dominated by an enormous table surrounded by high-backed chairs. The overall impression was one of wealth, but not so much as to be ostentatious.

Victor Thorpe, however, carried a different impression. _To tell the truth_, Kahlan thought, _he doesn't leave much impression at all_. He was tall, but not to an extreme like Zedd. His hair and beard were a chestnut brown, and his eyes were dark. His voice had been a pleasant baritone when he spoke, but even that hadn't carried the crack of authority Kahlan was used to hearing in many of the Resistance leaders.

But in spite of his mild appearance and manner, Kahlan still got a sense of quiet competence from Victor Thorpe. _He'll need it_, she thought. _Hugh Marsters left big shoes to fill_. Though just the fact that Marsters had placed enough confidence in Thorpe to make him second in command of the Resistance in the critically important Fenton Valley spoke volumes about his capability. Hugh had been a master at finding strong, intelligent men to lead the Resistance.

Victor was waiting for them to get settled. She nodded to him, and he guided them to sit before the fire. "You can get warm here while we talk about the…situation," he said, looking tired.

"We know the rough outline--that Hugh died under somewhat suspicious circumstances. Tell us how it happened," Kahlan said, and despite the gentle tone to her voice, it was clear to everyone in the room that her investigation had begun.

Victor nodded. "We'd all met for dinner--Hugh, myself, Stuart, Arthur, Barris and Graydon," he began.

"Who served you the dinner?" Kahlan asked, mentally filing away the names.

"Hugh's servants. His cook, Neala, prepared it, and his butler, Aylwin, served us."

"Did Hugh eat or drink anything different from the rest of you?" Zedd asked.

"I don't think so. And I don't think there's any way his meal could have been poisoned by anyone there. We were together through the whole meal." Victor frowned. "I don't think the servants could have done it either, because the meal was stew to start with, followed by roast beef, which was carved for us at the table. And we all drank from the same two bottles of wine. One of us would have been bound to get poisoned along with Hugh if any of those things had been the source."

Kahlan was at once impressed by Victor's careful analysis of the situation and relieved. It was quickly becoming clear to her that Victor Thorpe wasn't hiding anything from her. _Thank the spirits_, she thought. _The last thing we need right now is a question of leadership_. But it still left the bigger question unanswered: who had actually killed Hugh Marsters?

"We discussed our plans for the upcoming attack on the D'Harans over dinner," Victor was saying, and he gestured over at the great table, "mostly dealing with the logistics of getting the men together and preparing for the battle." He sighed. "Frankly, we're running out of time. We are meeting with a few of the key resistance leaders tomorrow in advance of the rendezvous with the full army the day after that. We'll be mustering the army for a day, and then, if the D'Harans cooperate, the battle will take place four days from now."

Richard looked over at Kahlan. _That doesn't leave us much time at all to figure this out_, he thought, and she was clearly thinking the same thing.

"After we finished eating, we sat in front of the fire for a bit," Victor continued, "talking more about the battle plans themselves, and drinking more wine." He smiled sadly. "Hugh loved a good wine," he said quietly. He took a deep breath. "That's when it happened. He seemed to be having trouble breathing, he coughed a couple of times, then he collapsed. His lips turned blue, and he lost consciousness. We sent for a healer, but by the time he arrived, Hugh was gone."

Zedd was frowning, and Kahlan was about to ask him what it was, but Richard stepped in. "Was there anyone else at the manor that night?"

Victor shook his head. "Well, not at the time we were eating dinner. Glynis and Vera arrived during dinner, but they both went to their rooms after getting here."

"Glynis and Vera?" Richard prompted.

"Vera Marsters, Hugh's wife. And Glynis is Will Haviland's wife." Kahlan noticed a change in his tone and a greater tension in his face when Victor spoke of Glynis Haviland, but she couldn't tell what it meant. "Will is my second in command. He was gone that day--we'd sent him out to scout the area we were planning for the ambush. He left that morning, along with Bryce Marsters, Hugh's brother. He went out to try to recruit more men."

"Where's the glass he was drinking from?" Zedd asked suddenly.

"Hugh?" Victor said, confused at the sudden change of subject. "At dinner, or after?"

"After," Zedd said, and Kahlan looked over at him and noted the hint of a smug smile. _He knows how it was done_, she thought, grateful once again for the wizard's many skills. Not that she was about to tell him that. _His ego's already big enough_, she thought.

Victor frowned. "I'm not sure. Everything was so chaotic. I'm sure the one from dinner had been washed up before…well, before it happened. But I don't know about the second one. I'm sorry."

"It's all right," Zedd said. "It probably doesn't matter. The symptoms only match one poison I'm familiar with. And it's fairly easily acquired." He looked over at Kahlan, raising his eyebrows significantly. "But it also means that it's very likely the person who did it was in that room when Hugh died."


	2. Chapter 2

_**The Bard's Tales: A Fell Purpose**_

**Chapter 2**

_Disclaimer: Kahlan, Zedd and Richard aren't mine. And I'm sure I could make money off this if I could come up with a better fantasy-world name for cyanide. But I can't, so don't bother squeezing me--you can't get blood from a stonebane._

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Victor had taken them up to their rooms soon after that, promising to arrange for interviews with the household starting first thing in the morning. Richard and Zedd joined Kahlan in her room soon after Victor left. "Tell me more about this poison, Zedd," Kahlan said. "You seemed very confident about what it was, and that it was definitely poison that killed Hugh, and not something natural."

"It's stonebane," he said. "The symptoms Victor described are unmistakable, especially the blue lips. There aren't any natural causes I know of that would cause that."

"And there isn't any other kind of poison, or something magical, that could cause it?" Richard asked.

Zedd thought for a while, then shook his head. "Not that I know of. But this is a good thing--it will help us narrow down the possible suspects considerably. The most important thing about stonebane, at least for our situation, is that it works fast--usually within minutes of the victim ingesting it. And it's also not easy to disguise, even in something like wine." He wrinkled his nose. "It has a fairly distinctive bitter smell and taste. Neither are overwhelming, but they'd be hard to miss. But if it was given to Hugh after the meal, and he'd been drinking wine already, it is possible he might not have noticed."

Kahlan sighed. "Well, any way you look at it, if you're right about the poison, that means that we can pretty well rule out Will Haviland and Bryce Marsters. And the two women who arrived that evening. I'll start with the men who were in the room with Hugh that night. And the cook and the butler."

"In the meantime, I'll help Victor with his preparations for the attack," Richard said. "We can't afford to miss this opportunity."

"I'll see if I can track down the glass so I can confirm my theory about the poison," Zedd said. "And then I'll be off to Middleton."

"Middleton?" Richard said, confused.

"There's an alchemist there. I'm betting if someone in this area needed to acquire a poison, Lars Felwyn would be a likely person to see," Zedd said. "And stonebane is a specialty of his. It's only a day's ride at most. I can leave tomorrow morning, and be back by the following morning at the latest."

"Is that really necessary?" Kahlan said. "Victor and the rest of the Resistance will be leaving for the muster of the army by then, and Richard will need to go with them. If I'm not able to figure this out by then--"

"If you haven't figured it out by then, I'm certainly not leaving you here alone," Richard said resolutely.

"It's not just about the investigation now, Richard. This is about the battle," Kahlan said. "Victor needs to show everyone who arrives for the muster that he has reason to expect victory. With Hugh's death, the presence of the Seeker is crucial."

"Actually, Will Haviland already asked me to go along for that very reason," Zedd said. "He seems to think a wizard of the first order would be helpful." His look of modesty was hardly convincing.

"I'd rather have you with Richard, too," Kahlan said. "Which is why I don't like this trip to Middleton much."

"I don't need a babysitter," Richard said, though with a teasing note to his voice.

"I do think I should go to Middleton," Zedd said, ignoring Richard. "If this isn't someone in the household, you could spend a lot of time trying to find a killer who's already long gone. I'll be back before he leaves," Zedd added, trying to reassure her. "I promise."

Kahlan sighed. "Fine. But I want you both to be careful," Kahlan said. "We don't know what we're dealing with. If this is some sort of preemptive strike by the D'Harans, they'd love to have a shot at the Seeker."

Richard grinned. "I hope they try--that would make the investigation go a lot faster, wouldn't it?"

Kahlan frowned at him. "This isn't funny, Richard. Hugh Marsters was an intelligent, capable man. He wouldn't be easily fooled by a potential spy. So whoever did this is clearly a force to be reckoned with."

Zedd nodded. "That means you need to be doubly careful, Kahlan. You're the only person who can definitively prove who the guilty party is. I'd expect an intelligent person like you're describing to go after you first."

Kahlan smiled tightly. "I know. I'll keep my eyes open."

"It's not your eyes that need to stay open," Zedd said, and he took up a glass of water from a nearby table. "Here," he said, and waved his hand over the glass for a second. He handed it to her. "Smell it."

Kahlan took it tentatively and raised it to her nose. There was a smell of nuts—_almonds_? she thought, though there was another undercurrent to the smell she couldn't identify.

"That's the smell of stonebane," Zedd said. "I want you to be sure that you smell everything you eat or drink before you try it." Kahlan handed it to Richard, who smelled it, too. "And if you notice any unusual taste, especially bitterness, stop eating or drinking it, and find me immediately. The same holds true if you feel any shortness of breath, or strange numbness or tingling, especially in the lips. Given enough time, I can probably neutralize a fairly large amount of the poison, but time is the factor. As I said before, it works fast. I want you to be very careful while I'm gone."

Kahlan nodded, looking pensive.

Richard looked at her, regretting his earlier words. _I hadn't thought about her being a target_, Richard thought. _I'd better do what I can to help in the investigation. The sooner we find the killer, the sooner we're all out of danger._

**********

"Excuse me, Wizard Zorander, could I have a word with you?" Victor asked Zedd as everyone was leaving the table after breakfast the next morning

"Of course," Zedd said, nodding to Kahlan and Richard who proceeded arm in arm up the long staircase. Zedd followed Victor over to the fireplace, sat down and waited while Victor paced in front of the fire.

"I was wondering if…" Victor began, then stopped and turned to look at Zedd. "I'm considering asking the Seeker if he would take command in my place."

Zedd raised his eyebrows. "Really? May I ask why?"

Victor looked surprised by the question. "Well, he's the Seeker."

"And…?"

"And…" Victor paused. "Given the circumstances, with Hugh's death, and some question over whether we'll be able to find the killer before we go to battle, it seems to me that it would be better to have someone untainted by these events in charge."

"I see," Zedd said, considering his words. "May I ask a question?"

"Of course," Victor said, sitting down across from the wizard.

"If Richard and Kahlan and I weren't here, would you be giving up command?"

Victor looked at him with a hint of a smile. "No," he said after a long moment. "I don't think I would."

"Why not?" Zedd asked. "Isn't there someone else who wasn't here when Hugh died who'd be capable? Bryce, perhaps?"

Victor shook his head immediately, though he looked uncomfortable about it. "Bryce is a good man, but he's not Hugh. And there isn't anyone else I'd feel comfortable having in charge of such an important task. But the Seeker is here, and he has the unqualified respect of every man in the Resistance."

Zedd waved away the second half of Victor's comment. "The fact is, Victor, that Hugh chose you as his second for a very good reason. I knew Hugh, and he was an excellent judge of men. If he thought you were up to this, and clearly he did, then you are. Given your responses to my questions, apparently you think you are, too."

Victor blinked at him. "Don't you think it's a little…arrogant?"

"Not at all," Zedd said. "Victor, a leader needs to believe he's the best man for the job. Otherwise, why not just go out and find the better man and put him in charge? But getting back to our particular situation, even if Richard were the better man, and I'm not convinced he is--"

"But--" Victor started.

"No," Zedd said, stopping Victor's automatic protest. "Don't misunderstand me. Richard's a great man, and there's no question in my mind that he's the only man capable of killing Darken Rahl. But that's his task. Yours is an entirely different one, one that requires specific talents. Talents you have in abundance. And think of this--can Richard stay in this valley, leading the Resistance here forever?"

"No," Victor said slowly. "I suppose not."

"Of course he can't. So what happens when he leaves? Putting Richard in charge, even temporarily, would undermine your command later, while keeping you in charge now, especially with Richard here, will only strengthen it." He leaned forward. "The Resistance needs all the strong leaders it can find, Victor. You're one of them. And I think you know I'm right. Otherwise, you'd have simply asked Richard first, wouldn't you?"

Victor leaned back, nodding. "I suppose I would have. Thank you, Wizard. My instincts told me I should keep command, but I needed some reassurance it was the right thing."

Zedd smiled. "I'm glad I could help. Don't worry--when the time comes, Kahlan will vouch for you as far as the situation with Hugh is concerned. And no one will question your leadership, not with Richard backing you completely, which he will. Now, as long as we're here," Zedd continued, warming his hands before the fire, "why don't you tell me who you think killed Hugh?"

Victor stared into the fire.

"Come, Victor, you knew the moment he collapsed that it was murder, otherwise you wouldn't have sent for us so quickly," Zedd persisted. "And if you knew then, you've had over a week to consider the possibilities."

Victor looked sidelong at Zedd. "I knew I was right to send for you. Between the Confessor's skills, your intelligence, and the Seeker's strength and courage, you're bound to find the truth." He sighed. "I have my thoughts, wizard, but I'd just as soon keep them to myself for now. The last thing I need is to be sowing suspicion where none should be sown. I consider everyone in this house to be a friend," he added, "and the thought of one of them having done this is…difficult to accept. I'd rather not have to deal with the fallout from that until we're certain who is truly guilty."

Zedd nodded. "I understand, and I don't blame you a bit. Kahlan will find the truth, you can count on that. She's like a bulldog when it comes to this sort of thing." He stood up, contemplating how incongruous it was to be comparing Kahlan to a bulldog, then looked down at Victor. "Don't worry about that, Victor. You've enough to worry about already."

**********

After breakfast, Kahlan set up shop in a library on the second floor of the manor, hoping she'd be able to find the killer before Zedd had to go. She interviewed the butler, Aylwin, first, but he couldn't shed any more light on the situation. He was certainly telling the truth when he said he hadn't poisoned Hugh, and he was equally truthful when he said he didn't know who did. He was also clearly unwilling to speculate, though Kahlan probably wouldn't have put much credence in any of his theories. He didn't strike her as particularly bright.

The cook, however, was at least slightly more useful. "I know for a fact that none of that food I served was poisoned," Neala said emphatically, so emphatically a strand of gray hair fell free from her braid. "I sample everything I serve before it leaves the kitchen. If there'd been poison there, I'd be dead as a doornail, too."

_Well, that's a relief_, Kahlan thought. _It will be easier to eat around here knowing Neala wasn't a murderer._ "Do you have any thoughts about who might have wanted Hugh Marsters dead?" Kahlan asked, hoping the belowstairs gossip might provide some information.

Neala sniffed. "I'm not one as spreads tales out of school," she said, but she was obviously dying to tell Kahlan something.

"Anything you could tell me would be helpful," Kahlan prompted. "I need to know everything that was going on here if I'm to find out who killed Hugh."

Neala's eyes sparkled slightly, and she leaned forward. "Well, seein' as how you're a Confessor and all, I don't suppose there's any harm. There's been a bit of hanky-panky with the master's wife, you see."

"Vera?" Kahlan said, perking up. "Really?"

Neala nodded. "Always slipping up and downstairs in the middle of the night," she said disapprovingly. "And then there's that Haviland woman."

Kahlan frowned. "Glynis Haviland, Will's wife?"

Neala snorted. "I suppose you can call her that, though given her past, I'm not sure that's the term I'd use."

Kahlan raised her eyebrows. "And what term would you prefer?" she said carefully.

Neala blushed suddenly. "Now, there I go, spreading tales, and me just a cook. I've overstepped my bounds, ma'am." She stood abruptly, dropped a curtsey, and scurried off before Kahlan could stop her.

_Well, that's interesting_, Kahlan thought. _Vera's having an affair, and Glynis has a past. It's not much, but it's a start_.


	3. Chapter 3

**_The Bard's Tales: A Fell Purpose_**

**Chapter 3**

_Disclaimer: Kahlan, Zedd and Richard aren't mine. Though with this story putting me over the 100,000 word mark on my stories, I do feel at least a tiny bit proprietary toward them. But don't worry, powers that be, I'm really good at sharing. Just ask Mrs. Timothy, my kindergarten teacher. _

_(Note to lawyer types: JUST KIDDING! Jeez…)_

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Richard, Victor and Will rode along the north road toward the valley where they were hoping to trap the D'Harans. Victor had wanted to take a closer look at the ground there, to be sure his plan for hiding the reserves would work, and he'd asked Richard to come along to offer his opinion. _I'm no soldier_, Richard thought. _He'd be better off asking Kahlan's opinion_. But he went along anyway so he could get a better feel for the Resistance leader and his second in command, who'd been unwilling to let them go alone.

Richard's impression of Will was mixed. He seemed friendly enough, if a little guarded. But there was also an edge to him that Richard didn't like. He knew Kahlan could be skeptical of his gut instincts, but he'd been right often enough that he couldn't just dismiss them out of hand.

"So what do you think happened to Hugh, Will?" Richard asked as they rode.

Will looked uneasy. "Well, there's no doubt the D'Harans have benefited from his death. We're lucky Victor here is as good as he is," he said, nodding to his friend, "but even with Victor's leadership, we're having a harder time keeping the coalition of Resistance groups together."

Victor nodded. "I spoke with some of the other leaders yesterday. It took every bit of persuasion I could manage to keep them from calling off the attack." He pulled up his horse, and nodded off to the right. "Here's where we turn off," he said, and turned his horse into the trees.

Richard followed, thinking about what Will had said. It was entirely possible that a D'Haran spy could have infiltrated the Resistance. It wouldn't be the first time. It wouldn't even have to have been someone in the household. Rahl had wizards--he could have found a way to get a man inside the manor unseen, even invisible, and poison Hugh that way.

But there was something bothering him, something that scenario didn't address. Richard shook his head, frustrated. Whatever it was, he couldn't put his finger on it right now. _Maybe when we get back, I can go over this all with--_

There was a sound of hoofbeats behind them, and Richard wheeled his horse to look back. There was a cluster of D'Harans on horseback on the road looking after him.

Will swore quietly. "They must have seen us turn off. Quick! There's a spot up ahead where we might be able to ambush them!" he whispered, and spurred his horse forward.

Richard and Victor followed at a gallop. _It's a good thing Will knows the area so well_, Richard thought, ducking under branches as they flew through the forest. _He seems to be getting us a bit more of a lead_.

They ran for several minutes, gaining ground on the D'Harans, and then Will turned them abruptly up a hill. "Here!" he said, leaping to the ground and flinging the reins into a bush. He ran to the edge of the bluff they'd ridden up. "They'll come through here," he pointed, and unslung a bow from his back.

Richard nodded. "Let them get as far as the turnoff we came up, then take out as many as you can with the bow, starting with the last in line. Victor and I will deal with the rest," he said, drawing the Sword of Truth.

"We can't let any of them get away," Victor said as he followed Richard back down the hill to take up posts on either side of the small trail.

Richard nodded grimly. _That won't be a problem. But it would be useful if we could capture one, find out what the D'Haran plans are. One of the many benefits of having Kahlan_, he thought, smiling at the thought of the other benefits.

The D'Harans came around the curve of the bluff, and they weren't stupid. They'd slowed down, anticipating an ambush. _Just a little farther_, Richard thought. _Come on…_

They rode forward carefully, looking around them. There were ten of them, a standard D'Haran patrol. _Easy_, Richard thought, _as long as they keep coming_.

They did. The first of them reached the turn, and Richard heard the whirr of arrows, and heard a cry from down the line. He shot a look across the trail to Victor, and they both ran out, Victor taking the first soldier in the line, and Richard the next. One of the horses reared, shrieking in pain, and the soldier tumbled off.

Victor had dealt with his soldier, but the others were moving up fast, trying to get out of the line of fire from Will's bow. Richard took down two more, trying to see how many were left. One rode past him, swinging his sword, and Richard turned to run after him, to keep him from getting away. He slashed wildly at the horse as it passed, and the horse fell hard. The soldier leaped free, and turned to face Richard. Richard moved fast, uncomfortable at having his back turned to the rest of the battle. Luckily, this one didn't take long--two exchanges of blows, then the man left an opening, and Richard ran him through.

"Richard!" he heard Victor yell, and turned to find a soldier facing him only yards away with a crossbow ready to fire. Richard's eyes widened, and he braced himself, only to see the soldier's eyes go even wider as an arrow pierced his back. He fell forward, and Richard looked up to see Will salute him and grin.

_Okay, that's one that Kahlan doesn't need to know about_, Richard thought, relieved.

Victor was finishing off the last of the patrol, and Richard noticed the man who'd fallen from his horse early on was struggling unsteadily to his feet. He looked around wildly, realizing every one of his compatriots was dead or dying, then his eyes settled on Richard, and he looked even more panicked. He stumbled forward, holding his sword out hilt-first. "Please--" he said, and then his expression changed to match the one of the soldier who'd been about to shoot Richard moments earlier. He fell forward, with an arrow in his back.

"No!" Richard shouted, furious. He looked up at Will. "He was surrendering!" For an instant, Will's look was hard, uncompromising, but then it changed to surprise.

"I didn't know!" he shouted down. "I just saw him heading toward you, Seeker!"

Richard wasn't listening. He was checking to see if the man might have a chance, but it was already too late. And there weren't any others who looked like they'd survive. _Will's a dangerous man with that bow_, Richard thought, frustrated.

"Damn it, Will!" Victor said. "We could have taken him alive!"

"What does it matter?" Will said with a hint of irritation, leading their horses back down to them. "He's just another bloody D'Haran."

Richard glared at him. "We could have taken him back to Kahlan. Once Confessed, he'd have told us everything he knew about the D'Harans and their plans." He sighed. "Not to mention giving us one more soldier for the battle, one who would fight without fear."

Will went white, then looked abashed. "I'm sorry, Victor. I didn't think of that. I just kept thinking about Hugh, and..." he trailed off, looking away.

Victor looked at him for a moment, his eyes narrowed, then shook his head. "Never mind, Will. It's too late now to do anything about it." He looked over at Richard. "Let's get moving. We need to get there soon if we want to get back to the manor by midday."

**********

"Excuse me?" Zedd said, walking into the kitchen. "I'm looking for Neala?"

"You've found her," the sturdy-looking woman at the large table said, not looking up from kneading bread. "What do you need?"

"A word," Zedd said smoothly. "Or two, if you're inclined."

The woman glanced sidelong at him, and then smiled and turned. "I might even give you more than that, if you play your cards right." She batted her eyelashes at him.

Zedd grinned. "A woman who can cook and has a quick wit. Where have you been all my life?"

Neala giggled, which was an odd sound coming from such a robust and elderly woman. "Go on, you! You'll have me blushing if you don't stop!"

"We can't have that," Zedd said. "But I must get to business first--the pleasure can come later." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively at her, and she giggled again. "Can you tell me what happened to the dishes that were used the night that Hugh Marsters died? Especially his glass from after the meal."

"Well, they were washed up, of course!" she said, surprised at the question. "As if I'd allow dirty dishes to sit for a week!"

Zedd sighed. _Of course, it was too much to hope for that they'd been kept as they were that night. But even so…_ "Could you show me the glass Hugh used?" he asked.

Neala nodded, and went over to a cabinet. She opened it and pulled out a distinctive goblet, with a twisted base. "This here was Master Hugh's favorite glass. He always said he liked the feel of it in his hand." She blinked quickly, and turned away as she handed it to Zedd.

"I'm sorry," Zedd said. "I was rather fond of Hugh myself." He patted her shoulder kindly. "Do you know if this was the glass he used at dinner, too?"

"It was," Neala said, brushing at her face with the hem of her apron. She turned back to Zedd. "I suppose you're helping the Confessor, then?"

Zedd nodded. "Has this been used since that night?" he asked, and when Neala shook her head, he said, "I'd like to take this glass for a bit, if you don't mind. I'll return it intact, I promise."

"Well, I suppose I don't mind, if it means you'll be coming back," Neala said suggestively. She smiled prettily, which was almost as incongruous as the giggle had been.

Zedd smiled back. "Wild horses couldn't keep me away, madam," he said, and swept out of the room. He ducked his head back in a moment later. "Could you perhaps pack up some of that mutton we had for breakfast? I'll be leaving for Middleton a bit later, and I wouldn't want to starve en route."

Neala nodded, smiling. "I love a man who loves his food. Just stop in here before you leave, sir, and I'll have you a proper second breakfast for the road."

Back in his room several minutes later, Zedd studied the glass. He set it on a table, held his hands over it and chanted for several seconds. He opened his eyes, and studied the glass again. Nothing had changed. _Not a trace of stonebane_, he thought, frustrated. It didn't necessarily mean anything--it was possible the glass had just been washed thoroughly enough that all of the stonebane had been erased. But it seemed unlikely to him that that would be the case. This spell was very effective under most circumstances--even a hint of the substance being detected would show up. One washing, no matter how thorough, shouldn't have been enough to remove all of it.

_But if there wasn't stonebane in the glass, then how did Hugh get poisoned?_ he thought. He shook his head. It had to be stonebane, and it had to have been in the glass. The symptoms were classic for that poison, and it worked within minutes. _There's something I'm missing_, he thought. _But for the life of me, I don't know what it is. _

Zedd stood up and headed for the door. _This trip to Middleton is even more important now. I can only hope that Lars Felwyn can shed some light on this for me. For his sake, he'd better_, Zedd thought grimly.


	4. Chapter 4

**_The Bard's Tales: A Fell Purpose_**

**Chapter 4**

_Disclaimer: Kahlan, Zedd and Richard aren't mine. I think we've all known a Glynis Haviland in our lives--the character who deserves a writer far better than the one she ends up with._

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By midmorning, Kahlan had spoken to all but the two of the men who'd been with Hugh the night he died, a Resistance fighter named Graydon and another named Stuart. But she was still nowhere near a solution to the question of who murdered Hugh, despite her ability to tell if someone was lying.

Arthur and Barris had both been telling the truth when she asked them if they'd done it, and they'd said no. And Graydon turned out to be just as forthcoming. "All I know for certain is that I didn't do it. I still can't figure out how it could have happened," he said. "We were all there through the whole dinner, and all of us joined him by the fireplace afterwards. If the poisoning happened then, it couldn't have been any of us. None of us was ever in a position to do anything to him without the others noticing. Have you talked to the servants?"

Kahlan nodded. "Both of the people who'd have had access to either the wine or the glasses are innocent," she said. _Unless there's some other magic at work like there had been in East Morwen._ Kahlan dismissed that thought. Something like that could be at work, but it wouldn't change the way she had to pursue this investigation, at least not at this point. "I guess it's time to bring in the rest of the people who've been around. Who else was here, or had been in the days leading up to Hugh's death?"

Graydon frowned. "Well, there's Hugh's brother, Bryce. He's been out recruiting for the Resistance off and on, but he was here until the morning of Hugh's death. He and Will Haviland left together. Bryce is expected back sometime today, possibly tomorrow morning. I don't think Will's around either."

"He's not," Kahlan said. "He left with Richard and Victor to scout early this morning."

Graydon nodded. "But I did see Will's wife earlier," he said.

Kahlan noticed a strange disapproval in Graydon' voice when he talked about Haviland's wife. "What's she like--Will's wife?" she asked.

Graydon wrinkled his nose. "She's all right, I guess. She's friendly enough, and she's certainly pretty," he said, but that last part was said with a hint of disgust.

"You don't like her," Kahlan said, uncertain whether this was worth pursuing. _But it's not like I have a lot of leads right now_, she thought.

"No, it's not that," Graydon said quickly. He sighed. "I guess I'm being a little unfair. You see, Will met Glynis in a...well, she was…she used to be..." Graydon trailed off significantly, blushing to the tips of his ears.

"I do see," Kahlan said dryly.

"She got here just about dinnertime that day," Graydon said, leaving the topic of Glynis Haviland's origins as quickly as possible. "She and Hugh's wife, Vera, came together in the same carriage. Vera had been visiting a friend in Wensleydale, and Glynis was on her way here to rejoin Will after helping her sister through the birth of a child. They met up in Middleton, and continued the rest of the way together." He snorted. "I'm sure glad I wasn't in there with them. Even one day on the road with those two at each other would be more than I could take." He shuddered.

"They don't get along?" Kahlan said.

Graydon smiled. "That's putting it mildly. Vera has very rigid ideas about her place in society, and Glynis Haviland doesn't exactly fit those ideas. There's a reason Vera gave them rooms downstairs."

Kahlan frowned. _It's a long shot, but it is possible that Glynis might have had an axe to grind if Vera treated her badly. I'll have to talk to her soon._ "So that's Bryce, Vera, Glynis, and Will. Was there anyone else?"

Graydon shook his head. "I don't think so. There are always people in and out of here, but I think that's everybody that was there that day or the day before."

"Well," Kahlan said, "I guess I'll start with Bryce Marsters. Any idea where he'd be?"

Graydon snorted. "If he's not passed out in his room down the hall, check the kitchen or the wine cellar," he said dryly. "But you'd better find him soon. He was planning to head out to do more recruiting."

**********

"Excuse me, wizard Zorander, could I have a word with you?" a woman said, coming up behind Zedd as he was readying his horse.

"Of course," Zedd said, turning around to find a breathtaking redhead. _This has to be Vera Marsters_, he thought, remembering the stories he'd heard of her beauty. He noticed her frown. "Is something wrong…?"

She clasped her hands together, looking torn. "I may know something that might help in finding out what happened to my husband."

"Oh?" Zedd said. "Have you told Kahlan, Mrs. Marsters?"

She shook her head. "I don't want to cast suspicion on someone unless it's truly deserved. You see, I thought I saw Bryce in Middleton the day before we got back. I was waiting there for Glynis Haviland to join me," she said with a hint of irritation. "I was going into the inn, and I thought I saw him down the street. At the time I thought I'd just been mistaken, but the more I think about it, the more I wonder if I was right in my first impression."

"You saw Bryce? Where?"

Vera looked even more distressed. She leaned close. "He was going into an alchemist's shop," she whispered. She looked up at Zedd. "I could be wrong--it was a bit dark, so it could have been someone else, and even if it was him, it could have been for something completely unrelated to Hugh's death." She took a deep breath. "I understand you're going to Middleton. When you do, could you find out from the alchemist if it was Bryce? Then, you can tell the Confessor and…"

"And you don't need to feel guilty for having been the one who implicated him," Zedd said quietly.

Vera looked relieved. "Yes. You do understand."

Zedd nodded, and turned to mount his horse. "I'll be back tomorrow morning. If anything happens in the meantime, I need you to tell Kahlan what you know."

Vera nodded.

Zedd spurred his horse forward, wondering as he left if he shouldn't tell Kahlan himself. But even if Bryce had been in Middleton the day before Hugh's death, he'd still been recruiting in Fenton the day of Hugh's death, an easy alibi to check. And Bryce wasn't around now anyway. _I'll find out if he was in Middleton, then Kahlan can talk to Bryce when he gets back, and we'll get to the bottom of this_, Zedd thought.

**********

After writing a few notes for herself about her interviews so far, Kahlan started off to look for Bryce Marsters. But as she left the library, she ran into a woman in the hallway. She was petite, blonde and rather pretty, though a little past her prime, and with a hardness in her face that made her seem unapproachable. The woman started, surprised, then recovered. "Oh! I'm terribly sorry, Confessor. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

Kahlan smiled at the smaller woman. "It's all right--I wasn't paying much attention myself."

The woman looked at her, frowning. "You're here to find out what happened to Hugh, aren't you?" she asked, and when Kahlan nodded, she added, "May the spirits guide you to justice. Hugh was a kind man." She looked genuinely sad. "He treated me well, which is more than--" She stopped abruptly, looking embarrassed. "Please, forget I said that. It wasn't right of me to say anything."

"Don't give it a second thought," Kahlan said, and there was something about the woman that felt...right. Kahlan didn't usually get impressions of people instantly, not like Richard did (rightly or wrongly), but when she did, she usually listened to her feelings. "I'm looking for Bryce Marsters," Kahlan added. "I don't suppose you've seen him."

"You just missed him. He was making a quick trip over to a couple of small villages west of here to try to round up some more help." She shook her head. "A bit of a late start, but that's no surprise with Bryce. He looked a bit the worse for wear."

Kahlan swore silently. "He probably won't be back till late, then?" she asked, frustrated.

"Late tonight, is my bet. Maybe not till tomorrow morning, though Victor will have his head if he's late," the woman said.

"How about Vera Marsters?" Kahlan asked, mentally going down the list of people she needed to speak to.

The woman looked annoyed. "I saw her earlier downstairs, arguing with Neala over some problem with breakfast. It's always something with that woman. I'd have been better off walking here than riding with her."

"Oh!" Kahlan said, realizing who this was. "You must be Glynis Haviland, then."

Her face clouded slightly at that. "I am. You've heard of me?" she said, and there was a hint of defiance in her manner, and Kahlan understood now where the hard expression had come from.

Kahlan smiled, hoping to reassure her. "I have," she said, "though I prefer to form my own impressions of people," she added pointedly.

Glynis looked up at her, looking surprised. "What a refreshing attitude," she said, and Kahlan was surprised at how much of a change even the hint of a smile made in the woman's face. It was like the sun coming out from behind a cloud.

"I'd like to speak with you more, but I need to speak to Vera first," Kahlan said. "Would you be willing to meet with me tomorrow?"

Glynis nodded. "Tomorrow morning I'll be seeing off my husband, and then I'm speaking with some of the wives of the Resistance fighters who've just joined." At Kahlan's questioning look, she added, "They're a little frightened about what they're getting into. I like to let them know that their husbands are in good hands, and that we're prepared to protect their families. But I'd be happy to speak with you in the afternoon."

"That would be fine," Kahlan said. "And it has been a pleasure to meet you."

Glynis smiled again. "The pleasure was all mine, Confessor. Good luck with Vera," she said, and started down the hall.

Before Kahlan had gone a few steps, however, Glynis called back to her. "Confessor!" Kahlan stopped and turned, and Glynis came back to meet her. "I assume you'll be speaking to Bryce Marsters as well?" Kahlan nodded. "When you do," she said, leaning close and speaking softly, "don't get too close to him. He has...roaming hands."

Kahlan raised her eyebrows. "Oh, really? Well, don't worry, I know how to handle men like him," she said coolly.

Glynis grinned. "Would you mind an audience? I'd pay money to see that."

Kahlan grinned back. "Sorry, not this time. But if he's as bad as you say, I'm sure you'll have other opportunities to see me in action." She winked, and Glynis laughed out loud. _Oh, I like this woman_, Kahlan thought, heading for the stairs.


	5. Chapter 5

The Bard's Tales: A Fell Purpose Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: Kahlan, Zedd and Richard aren't mine. __The rest of these fine prime suspects are, in fact, mine. And given that one of them has a propensity for using poison, I wouldn't recommend anybody else borrowing them_. 

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Kahlan met Richard at the top of the stairs as she headed down to look for Vera Marsters. "Is that blood?" Kahlan asked sharply, noticing his rough appearance.

He shrugged. "We ran into a D'Haran patrol," he said. "Will and Victor and I were able to take them out. How about you? Any luck?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

Kahlan looked hard at him for a moment. "Richard, do you have any idea what it would do to--" She stopped, biting her lip. "--to the Resistance if you were killed?"

Richard smiled at her. "Yes, I know what it would mean to…the Resistance," he said pointedly. "It was a minor skirmish, Kahlan. We've been through far worse together."

"Exactly," Kahlan said. "Together. When I'm not with you, I--"

"I know, Kahlan," Richard cut in. "But I think I was safer fighting D'Harans than trying to track down a murderer in a houseful of suspects." He looked seriously at her. "I do worry about you, too, you know."

_How does he do that?_ she thought. One minute she would be angry with him, and then he'd say something wonderful. "I'm sorry, Richard. It's just so frustrating being stuck here like this."

"How is it going?" he asked, looking concerned.

She sighed. "I've spoken to everyone who had an opportunity to poison Hugh's drink. None of them did it." She shook her head, frustrated. "I have no idea who could have. Has Zedd left yet?"

Richard nodded. "His horse was gone when I came in." He glanced down the stairs, looking concerned. "This is bad. Some of the Resistance men who met with Victor yesterday were making noises about calling off the attack. They don't want to risk walking into a D'Haran trap."

"I can't blame them," Kahlan said. "I just don't see it, though. There's just something about this that doesn't seem like the D'Harans." She tilted her head to one side. "Think about it: if they really wanted to disrupt the Resistance, they'd be better off finding out when and where the upcoming battle would be so they could capture a huge number of Resistance fighters at once. No matter how important Hugh was, his murder wasn't worth losing a shot at five hundred Resistance fighters."

_So she feels it, too_, Richard thought, relieved, _and she's already thought it through far better than I had_. "Well, whoever it was, we won't find them by standing here talking about it. Where to next?" Richard said.

"I need to talk to the rest of the people who've been here," Kahlan said, and she didn't sound happy about it. "I understand Bryce Marsters is supposed to be back late tonight."

Richard nodded. "Victor said he'd sent him to the villages west of here. He's hoping to get a few dozen more men before we leave. According to Victor, Bryce can be very persuasive."

"Well, he's the last of the people who were here in time for dinner that night. So I guess for now, I need to talk to Vera Marsters."

"Have you met her yet?" Richard said, and there was an odd tone to his voice.

"No, why?" Kahlan said.

"She's…interesting," Richard said. "I met her earlier. I think she's downstairs." He offered his arm to her as they started down the stairs.

Kahlan took his arm, smiling as she realized his gallantry was an effort to make up for worrying her. They reached the landing and she noticed a striking woman speaking to a dark haired man. He was almost as dusty as Richard. _That must be Will Haviland_, Kahlan thought. He was attractive in a slightly dangerous way, with a thin mustache and a sardonic curve to the side of his mouth. _There are women who would easily fall for that kind of man_, she thought. _Though I wouldn't have thought Glynis Haviland would be one of them_.

As the two turned when Richard called Will's name, Kahlan could see what was so "interesting" about Vera Marsters. She was more than striking. She was a remarkably beautiful woman, with long, red hair that cascaded around her shoulders, and pale green eyes that seemed like a window into her mind. _A window with closed shutters_, Kahlan thought, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Now Neala's comment about a possible affair made a lot more sense. Kahlan could understand how a man might see her as the ultimate conquest. Kahlan found the contrast between Vera and Glynis intriguing--Glynis was outwardly less approachable, yet she'd had an air of kindness and warmth, while Vera seemed--_what? _Kahlan thought to herself. _You haven't even spoken to her yet. And Glynis hasn't really done anything that warrants your high opinion. Don't jump to conclusions._

"If you'll excuse me," Will said, nodding to her. "I need to go help Victor." He seemed a bit nervous, flicking a glance back at Vera as he left.

"I assume you need to speak to me about what happened to my husband," Vera said, leading them over to the fireplace and sitting down.

Richard studied her. She didn't show much sign of emotion. _Either she's putting up a brave front, or she doesn't feel much sense of loss_. He glanced over at Kahlan, and realized that she'd probably behave in a similar way in front of strangers. She didn't like showing weakness. _Maybe Vera Marsters is the same way._

"Yes," Kahlan said, sitting across from her, and noticed Vera had chosen the seat with its back to the windows. Her face was nearly in shadow as Kahlan sat across from her.

"I think there's something I should tell you up front," Vera said coolly. "I know better than to lie to a Confessor, and this is bound to come out, one way or another."

"What is?" Kahlan said, fairly sure she already knew the answer.

"I've been sleeping with Bryce Marsters," Vera said, and even though Kahlan had anticipated the revelation, somehow she hadn't expected Bryce to be the man involved. "But I can guarantee you that our relationship had nothing to do with what happened to Hugh," Vera continued. "He knew all about us. In fact, it was his idea."

"His idea?" Richard said, shocked.

"I married Hugh after his first wife died," Vera said. "Our marriage was about one thing: I was to provide him an heir. Unfortunately, I was unable to conceive with Hugh, something we both suspected had more to do with him than me, given the difficulties his first wife had, too."

Richard wondered how unfortunate she really thought that was.

"So he suggested you…sleep with Bryce, hoping you'd be able to give him a child to carry on the family line, one way or another?" Kahlan asked. _It isn't that unusual_, she thought, _but you don't usually hear people admit it so baldly._ "And Bryce went along with it?"

_Apparently, she's not only as stoic as Kahlan, she also has Kahlan's capacity for ruthlessness_, Richard thought, looking at the red-haired woman with new, not quite so admiring eyes.

Vera nodded. "You can understand, this is difficult," she added, though Kahlan thought Vera seemed to be coping quite well. _A little too well_, she thought. "I can't say I loved my husband," Vera continued. "Our wasn't a relationship built on love. Mutual respect, yes, but not love."

"And Bryce?" Kahlan asked, curious about how she would respond.

She snorted. "Bryce is…well, you've met him, haven't you? Did he call you one of the most beautiful women in the Midlands?"

Kahlan's eyes widened. "No, we haven't met yet."

"Well, when you do, and he says that, don't take it too hard. In your case, what would normally be mere flattery was the simple truth," Vera said, glancing at Richard with a hint of a smile as Kahlan blushed. "But it does tell you what you can expect from Bryce Marsters."

"So there was no love with Bryce either?" Kahlan asked.

Vera smiled tightly. "Bryce believes he is the spirits' gift to women. Sharing his bed was…distasteful, but necessary. I can't tell you how he felt about it." She looked steadily at Kahlan. "I assume you're wondering now if I killed my husband. I can assure you, I did not."

Kahlan returned her gaze, frowning faintly as she caught the slight emphasis on "I." _Is she suggesting that Bryce might have done it?_ she thought. "Do you have any thoughts about who might have?"

Vera looked troubled, though even that expression seemed as calculated as the rest of her behavior had been so far. "I'd rather not say. I have no proof, and since I wasn't here in the time leading up to…" she stopped, took a breath, and began again, her hands clasped together in her lap. "I can't be sure of anything."

Kahlan studied her long enough for even Richard to get uncomfortable. "Thank you," Kahlan said finally. "I appreciate your candor. You've spared me trying to dig up secrets that had nothing to do with the murder."

Vera nodded, returning Kahlan's scrutiny for a moment, then rose and went toward the stairs. At their foot, she turned to look back at Richard. "Good luck to you, Seeker. I hope the campaign goes according to plan."

Richard nodded his thanks to her, then turned back to Kahlan after Vera left. "And where does that leave us?"

"I don't know," Kahlan said. Instead of each interview leading her closer to an answer, she seemed to keep getting farther away.

"Was she telling the truth?" he asked.

Kahlan looked over at him. "About the murder? Yes," she said absently.

Richard frowned. "But she is hiding something," he said, and it wasn't a question.

Kahlan looked closely at him, then shook her head. "I don't know for certain. But I think you're right. There's more to Vera Marsters than she's letting us see."

"But...if she didn't actually do it..." Richard said uncertainly.

"There's no one else who could have," Kahlan said. "I talked to nearly everyone else who had any possibility of poisoning Hugh, and they're all innocent. It is rather convenient for Bryce that he's not around right now," Kahlan said.

"Well, Victor was the one who asked him to go," Richard said. "So I wouldn't necessarily hold that against him. The situation is difficult--the investigation isn't something that can take precedence like it would normally."

"I know, I'm not going to base any conclusions on that," Kahlan said. "Besides, I still need to talk to Stuart Addington. I hate to say it, but I'm really hoping he's guilty. That would save us all a lot off trouble."

Richard nodded. "I'll check outside, see if I can find him with Victor and Will."

It took two hours to track down Stuart Addington, and Kahlan couldn't say it was worth it. He was just as helpful as the others had been, and just as innocent. The afternoon was drawing to a close, and Richard couldn't conceal his frustration.

"They can't all be innocent!" he said, throwing his hands in the air.

"But they are," Kahlan said, rubbing her forehead with one hand. "I'm beginning to think Zedd's theory about an outsider might be right. None of the people who were there did it, and the people who weren't there have iron-clad alibis. Unless one of them was somehow able to be in two places at once."

Richard looked at her. "Is that possible?" he asked. "I mean, magically?"

Kahlan shook her head. "Anybody who could do that would give off an aura of magic Zedd would have noticed a mile away. Even someone using some sort of magical device would probably have been noticeable. Transportation like that is powerful magic."

"So who's left to talk to?" Richard asked.

"Just Glynis Haviland and Bryce Marsters," Kahlan said. "I've made an appointment to talk to Glynis tomorrow." She looked out at the lengthening shadows. "Maybe if Bryce gets back early enough, I can talk to him tonight."

"And if not, Zedd will be back in the morning, and hopefully, he'll be able to shed some more light on this mess," Richard said. "In the meantime, it's getting on toward dinnertime. Will you join me?"

Kahlan sighed, standing and following him to the door. "I can't say I'm thrilled about dining with a roomful of potential murderers."

Richard looked sharply at her. "But you said--"

Kahlan nodded. "I know, but I'm starting to wonder if I could be mistaken somehow. It wouldn't be the first time." She sounded tired and uncertain.

"The only way that could be true is if the murderer truly believed that they hadn't done it when they talked to you, right?" Richard said, turning her and taking her by both arms.

She nodded.

"Well, if that's the case, then why would that person try to kill us now?" he said, grinning. "I don't think we have much to worry about, one way or the other."

Kahlan gave him a long look, then smiled. "Amazingly enough, Richard, that actually makes sense. But I think I'll be careful with dinner just the same."

**********

Dinner that evening was an exercise in tension. Several of those present were leaving in the morning to gather the Resistance men for the attack. But the greatest worry was over Hugh's murder. Everyone was tentative about their first bite, looking sidelong at the people next to them.

The conversation was just as awkward. Most of the talking was limited to requests for salt and mumbled thanks, interspersed with long, uncomfortable silences.

"Excuse me," Kahlan said, raising her voice to reach the end of the table. "I know you're all concerned about what happened to Hugh. Normally, I'd prefer to keep my findings to myself until I reached a conclusion, but given the circumstances, I think you should know what I've found so far."

Victor nodded, looking at the other men at the table. "I think I can speak for all of us when I say we'd all feel better knowing all we can."

"I've spoken to everyone at the table who was here when Hugh died," Kahlan said, "and none of the people I spoke to was lying when they assured me they weren't responsible. So I think I can safely assure you that no one at this table needs to be worried about the person sitting next to them."

There was a ripple of relieved sighs across the table. Victor's was the most audible. "Thank you, Confessor. Can you tell us anything more?"

Kahlan shook her head reluctantly. "I'd rather not say anything more at this point," she said. _Not that there's much I could tell you anyway_, she thought. "Though none of you need to worry about the servants either. Neala and Aylwin are both innocent as well."

Victor nodded understandingly, and turned to speak to Glynis Haviland. The conversation at the table became lively now that much of the tension had been relieved. Graydon Barber and Stuart Addington became embroiled in a heated discussion of the most effective use of archers in a battle in rocky terrain. Barris Talbot joined in, his face going red when Addington apparently made some sort of dismissive remark about Talbot's knowledge of strategy.

"Gentlemen, surely the use of archers in our upcoming battle will be a moot point. However we use ours, they're ten times better than anything the D'Harans have to offer," Victor broke in, and after the laughter died down, the discussion turned to the general ineptitude of most D'Haran conscripts.

_Nicely done, Victor_, Kahlan thought. She turned her attention to Vera, who was looking at Victor. Her face seemed at first to be carefully neutral, but Kahlan caught a hint of… _What?_ Kahlan thought. It was hard to tell.

Vera noticed Kahlan's scrutiny, and nodded at her from her seat at the opposite end of the table. Kahlan nodded back, and forced herself to observe some of the others at the table. She realized that Will Haviland was missing, and turned to ask Victor where he was.

"He was worried about more D'Haran scouts getting wind of the muster," Victor said. "He asked to take a group of men out to patrol the north road." Victor smiled at Glynis, who looked a little uncomfortable at the attention. "Will's a good man--he's been extremely useful. He brought in a hundred gold pieces the week before Hugh died, donations from the people in the countryside. That will help to feed our army for a week. Between him and Bryce," he added, "we've been able to raise a lot of money."

Kahlan noticed Vera seemed to tense slightly as Victor finished, and wondered if there were something else going on with her and Bryce.

The rest of the dinner progressed without incident, though Kahlan did notice a few interesting things. For one, Victor had seemed particularly attentive to Glynis. He'd made a point of sitting next to her, and spoke to her often throughout the meal. _He's concerned that she's worried over Will_, Kahlan thought, but wondered if there were more to it than just that. _Surely not. Victor is an honorable man_, she thought, _and he clearly respects Will. And Glynis, for that matter_, a fact that Kahlan found as refreshing as her own attitude must have been to Glynis. There were too many people in the manor who seemed to have based their opinions of Glynis entirely on her past, without a thought for the kind of woman she was now.

The dinner came to an end, and no one seemed inclined to linger over drinks. _Even with Kahlan's announcement, everyone's still suspicious of everyone else_, Richard thought, helping Kahlan up from her chair. _I hope Zedd can find something useful in Middleton._

**********

Zedd rode into Middleton late that evening, road-weary, dusty, and furious that he'd gotten there so late.

The ride he'd thought wouldn't take more than six hours or so had turned into a nine-hour marathon through deep forests with thick undergrowth. There'd been a D'Haran patrol on the road, and it had taken Zedd the better part of an hour just to lose them. After that, he'd decided it would be safer to stick to the forest. Now he was regretting that decision.

The main street of Middleton was nearly deserted, only a few late drinkers straggling out of the inn. Zedd stopped in at the inn quickly and made sure he could get a room. _It's not looking like I'll be riding back tonight, even if I do get to speak to Lars_, he thought.. His horse was exhausted, and, if he was honest with himself, so was he. _I'm getting too old for this._

He left the inn after stowing his pack in his room, and walked down the street to where the alchemist's shop was, according to the innkeeper. It was in a larger building than he'd expected, with a rather ornate ironwork sign hanging over the door. _Lars has moved up in the world_, Zedd thought. _Apparently being an unscrupulous alchemist pays better than it used to_.

The door was locked, and no light inside to be seen. Zedd stepped back from the door, looking up at the windows on the second floor, but they looked dark as well. He went back to the door and knocked anyway. _It'd serve Lars right if I woke him up. That's the least he deserves if he's guilty of selling stonebane to a murderer._ No one answered, which was no surprise, and when he stepped back out into the street, it was still dark upstairs. He thought for an instant he'd seen some movement in the window, but he couldn't tell.

Zedd briefly considered breaking in and forcing Lars to talk to him, but he decided that might bring too much attention. Especially given his encounter with the D'Harans that afternoon. _It's just as well_, he thought. _If I talked to Lars right now, I'd be liable to turn him into a toad just out of spite._ He walked back to the inn, looking forward to a good night's rest. And tried not to think about the hard ride he'd have in the morning to get back to the manor.


	6. Chapter 6

_**The Bard's Tales: A Fell Purpose**_

**Chapter 6**

_Disclaimer: Kahlan, Zedd and Richard aren't mine. This chapter is dedicated to everyone who has ever played Mrs. Bedwin. If you're one of them, you'll know why. ("Ten minutes, Mr. Brownlow."—BuggyQ's thespian triumph…)_

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Kahlan got up early the next morning, hoping to find the answers before Richard had to leave without her. Victor saw her in the hallway, and she asked if Bryce Marsters was back yet.

Victor looked grim. "He is, though it was a near thing."

Kahlan frowned. "What do you mean?"

"He was shot at last night on his way in, probably by a D'Haran patrol. An arrow caught him in the arm. He was lucky," Victor added, and Kahlan thought it was a good sign for Bryce's innocence that Victor seemed to think he'd been lucky, too. _Whatever Bryce's faults_, Kahlan thought, _Victor seems to rely on him._

"Is he well enough to speak to me?" Kahlan asked.

Victor nodded. "The wound wasn't serious. His room's just down here," Victor said, gesturing down the hall. "I'll go tell him."

"Wait, Victor, I wanted to ask you something else," Kahlan said impulsively before he could leave.

He turned and gave her a questioning look.

"I--" she started to say, then changed her approach. "What do you think of Glynis Haviland?" she asked, trying to keep her tone neutral.

He looked surprised. "Glynis?" he said. "You don't think she--?"

Kahlan raised her hand to reassure him. "No, nothing like that, at least not yet. I haven't had a chance to say more than a few words to her, but I'd like to get your impression of her before I do."

Victor frowned. "Whatever else you may have heard, Glynis Haviland is a good woman," he said emphatically. "She deserves better treatment than she's gotten here, especially from--" He stopped, biting back whatever he'd been about to say, though Kahlan suspected she knew what it had been. Something must have shown in her expression, though, because Victor smiled. "But then, you already knew that, didn't you?"

Kahlan smiled. "My few words with her did give me some idea of the kind of person she is, but it's nice to hear you feel the same."

Victor looked troubled. "I'm not sure I'd say that, exactly." He looked up at her, and once again seemed able to read her far better than she thought anyone ought to. "It's obvious, isn't it?" he said. "At least to you. Do you think anyone else knows?"

"That you're in love with her?" Kahlan said quietly. "No, I don't think so. And even if they did, they know you well enough to know you'd never act on it as long as she's with Will."

"I wish…" he said, but didn't finish the thought. He shook his head. "You don't know what it's like to love someone like this."

"I understand," Kahlan said, "probably better than you think."

Victor smiled sadly. "At least you know Richard feels the same way about you, even if you can't act on those feelings. I can't even tell her--" He stopped, looking back over his shoulder as if he'd heard something. He looked back at Kahlan, and he'd recovered his normal neutral expression. "I'll go find Bryce for you," he said, and retreated down the hall.

Kahlan watched him for a moment, then went into the library to gather her thoughts before Bryce came in. _Poor Victor_, she thought. _I wonder if Glynis has any idea_, but she doubted it. Victor was far too noble to show her much more than common courtesy.

Richard joined her, still yawning. "I don't know how you do it," he said quietly.

"Do what?" Kahlan said, looking up at him in surprise.

"Look so good so early in the morning," Richard said, smiling. Kahlan blushed, and found herself wishing Victor and Glynis could have even the limited relationship she was able to have with Richard. _As frustrating as it is sometimes, I'm happy_, she thought.

"Good morning!" Bryce said heartily from the doorway. "Victor said you needed to see me before we leave."

"Yes," Kahlan said, trying to get her mind off what Richard had just said, and wondering what approach she should take with Bryce. _Spirits, Richard. I was fine before you came in, and now I'm looking like an idiot._ "I appreciate your taking the time to talk to me."

Bryce was a large blond man with a full beard and mustache, and his left arm was in a sling, with a hint of blood showing through a bandage just below the shoulder. As he came in the room, clasping Richard's arm, Kahlan thought he didn't really look much like Hugh. He certainly didn't act like his brother. Kahlan had a feeling that subtlety was not Bryce's strong suit. _Not the kind of man I'd expect to use poison, even if had been here to do it. Which he wasn't._

"How could I miss a chance to talk to one of the most beautiful women in the Midlands?" he said far too eagerly. _Score one for Vera, _Kahlan thought_._ Bryce grinned at her. _No_, Kahlan thought uncomfortably, _not a grin. It's a leer__. Vera and Glynis both had Bryce Marsters pegged._

Kahlan felt Richard bristle next to her. She touched his arm lightly, and caught his eye. He nodded imperceptibly, but still looked annoyed. "Obviously, I'm trying to find out what happened to Hugh," she said, and Bryce's smile faded abruptly. "I understand you and Will Haviland left the morning that Hugh died."

"That's right," Bryce said. "We rode east together for an hour or so, then he split off to head to the north to look for signs of the D'Harans. I went on to Fenton, where I tried to get more men to join the Resistance. I got back two days after Hugh had died." There was a hint of emotion behind that last statement, but Kahlan couldn't tell if it was sadness, or something else. _I wonder if he could have come back to the manor_, Kahlan thought, _and then left again. He could have ridden all night and still gotten to Fenton in time to do his recruiting the next day._

"Do you have any idea what might have happened to Hugh?" Kahlan asked.

"I think it's a D'Haran spy," Bryce said without hesitation.

"Really?" Richard said, and there was a hint of anger in his voice. "It would have to be someone close to him. Do you have any thoughts about who?"

Bryce frowned. "Well, no, not really. But it has to be a D'Haran. Who else would have reason to kill Hugh?"

"You tell us," Kahlan said, and Bryce's red face became a pale pink.

"Nobody!" he said a little too loudly. "Everybody loved Hugh!"

"You didn't," Richard said evenly, and Kahlan looked over at him, surprised.

"What are you talking about? I loved my brother!" he shouted, and that much was true, Kahlan realized, despite Richard's impression.

"Then what are you so defensive about?" Richard asked, stepping closer to the larger man, his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Do you have something to hide?"

"No, nothing like that!" Bryce said, but Kahlan didn't need her skills to know that was a lie.

"You're talking to a Confessor, Bryce," Kahlan said, an edge to her voice.

Bryce swore, then turned to face the window, a tendon in his neck standing out prominently.

"What is it, Bryce?" Kahlan said, wondering whether to spring Vera's admission on him, or let him tell her himself. _Let him_, she thought. _If he lies about it, I can call him on it then._

He looked over at her with a trapped expression, and backed away, his hands held up placatingly. "Look, it has nothing to do with what happened to Hugh. I swear! I didn't kill my brother."

And he was telling the truth. _Damn_, Kahlan thought, frustrated. _I thought I was on to something._ "Then what are you hiding?" she persisted.

Bryce finally gave up, looking beaten. "It's Alise Barber. I've been going to Middleton to see her for the past few weeks," he said in a rush. "Please don't tell Graydon. He's a good man--"

Richard looked over at Kahlan, baffled.

"Alise Barber?" Kahlan said, equally confused.

Bryce looked up, surprised. "You didn't know? But I thought--"

"We thought it was Vera," Richard said.

Bryce's eyes went wide. "Oh, that! But that was completely different. Hugh knew all about it. It was his idea in the first place."

"So you were seeing Alise Barber, too?" Kahlan said, wondering how on earth he found the time.

Bryce nodded. "I feel terrible about it," he said, though that seemed unlikely to Kahlan. "She's a beautiful woman, and I just couldn't help myself. But that has nothing to do any of this!"

"It might be a motive to kill Hugh," Richard said.

Bryce looked appalled. "I didn't kill my brother, I swear it! I had absolutely nothing to do with his death!"

"I believe you," Kahlan said coldly. "You're lucky there's a Confessor here. If this had come out without my being able to vouch for your truthfulness, it could have gone badly for you."

Sweat was beading on his forehead. "Thank you, Confessor," he said vehemently. "Do...are you going to tell anyone else? It's bad enough Hugh being dead. But if this came out, it could really hurt the Resistance. Graydon deserves better from me. Please--don't make the Resistance pay for my failures."

Kahlan sighed. "You should have thought of that before you slept with Graydon's wife," she said pointedly. He winced. "But I'll do my best to keep this quiet. For the Resistance. If you promise to end this relationship. Now."

Bryce nodded wildly. "Absolutely," he said, and he was being truthful. _Well, that's one less thing to worry about anyway_, Kahlan thought as he thanked her profusely and retreated out of the library.

Richard looked over at her, incredulous. "You're just letting him off the hook?"

Kahlan looked steadily at him. "Richard, he may be an ass, but that's not a capital offense. He admitted to the affair--affairs," she corrected herself, "and he was telling the truth when he said he didn't have anything to do with Hugh's death. And he really does believe in the Resistance."

"Then either there's magic involved," Richard said, and regretted saying it when Kahlan winced at the memory of the last time magic had kept her from the truth, "or there's someone we've missed. Who else is left?"

"Only Glynis Haviland," Kahlan said, and felt a pang at the thought of that woman being guilty of murder. _Don't make assumptions_, she told herself sharply. _There've been cases before where people you trusted turned out to be guilty. _But another part of her reminded her that in two of those cases, that apparent guilt turned out to be wrong, and her instincts had been right.

"You don't think she could have done it, do you?" Richard said perceptively.

Kahlan looked up at him and smiled. "Well, she certainly didn't have the opportunity," she said. "But it's more than that. I've only spoken to her once, but…"

"Kahlan, I'd trust your feelings more than I trust my own," Richard said. "Don't ignore them."

"But Richard, she's the only suspect I have left!" Kahlan said, standing up and pacing. "Every single person I've talked to has been innocent."

"Give it time," he said, touching her shoulder gently. "I'm sure the answer will become clear. In the meantime," he said, "I need to go. Victor will be leaving soon. Will you see us off?"

She smiled at him and nodded. They headed downstairs and met Victor at the door.

"How did things go with Bryce?" he asked with a faint hint of amusement in his voice.

"About as you'd expect," Kahlan said dryly, and Victor grinned. "I can tell you this, though--he didn't kill Hugh."

Victor nodded. "Bryce has his faults, but he truly believes in what we're doing. There's no way he would risk the success of the Resistance, not even to save his own skin. But that doesn't leave us any closer to a solution, does it?"

Kahlan shook her head. "I'm sorry, Victor."

Victor shook his head. "I know you're doing your best. I trust you. But now you'll have to trust me with the safety of the Seeker," he said, nodding to Richard. "I swear I'll bring him back to you."

Kahlan smiled at him as Richard scowled at the idea that he couldn't take care of himself. "Thank you, Victor. That means a great deal to me."

"I know, " Victor said, and turned to go out the door, but the look he gave her as he turned spoke volumes. _He knows how I feel about Richard_, she thought. _And he knows what it's like to be in love with someone and not be able to be with them. Oh, spirits, now I have even more reason to hope Glynis is innocent._

As Richard followed Victor out the door, Kahlan heard Vera call to her from the staircase. "Excuse me, Confessor!"

Kahlan turned and went back to her. "Yes?"

"I just wanted to let you know that it looked like Neala left some food and wine for you in the library," she said. "She was rather busy getting things ready for the men leaving, and I think she may have forgotten to tell you."

"Thank you, Vera," Kahlan said. "That was very kind."

"It was no trouble," Vera said, and she passed Kahlan and went on outside.

Kahlan frowned slightly, then turned to follow her. Will and Glynis were in the courtyard, too, along with Victor, Bryce (who was sweating and avoided her gaze) and the rest of the Resistance leaders from the immediate vicinity, as well as a number of women seeing them off. _The wives Glynis is meeting with_, Kahlan thought. _I wonder if Alise is here_, she thought, and then decided she'd rather not know.

"Promise you'll be careful," Glynis said to Will, and she looked like she was nearly in tears.

"I'll be fine," he said brusquely and gave her a perfunctory kiss on the cheek.

"You do the same," Kahlan said quietly to Richard.

Richard rolled his eyes. "I'll be fine, Kahlan. I'll be in the middle of the biggest army the Resistance has put together yet. Just do your best to find the answers soon. I'd feel a lot better having you with me and knowing who the killer really is."

"Either Zedd will have an answer, or I will after I talk to Glynis," Kahlan said quietly. "Either way, it'll all be over today_._" _I hope_. "I'll join you by tonight." Richard looked relieved at that. "Now, I have one more thing to do before you all go." She walked over to Victor. "Good luck to you, Victor," she said, clasping his arm, aware that many eyes were on them both. "I know you'll lead them to victory. Hugh chose well. He'd be glad to know you're continuing his work."

"Thank you, Mother Confessor," Victor said, equally aware of the audience, and grateful to her for recognizing the importance of this exchange. "And good luck to you as well. May the spirits guide you to justice." He mounted his horse.

Kahlan made her way over to Bryce as he was preparing to mount. "Good luck to you as well, Bryce," she said.

He looked at her, surprised, then gave her a relieved and grateful smile. "Thank you, Confessor," he said. "I'll look after them all for you. I swear it."

_So there is a good man under all that swagger_, Kahlan thought, smiling as she turned to go back to the steps into the manor. As she turned, she noticed Vera looking hard at Bryce as he and Will moved into line behind Victor.

Kahlan watched them go, waving back at Richard when he turned before he passed through the gate. _They'll be fine_, she told herself, but she was unable to shake the uneasy feeling that was growing in her.

**********

Zedd watched the alchemist's shop from an alley across the street early the next morning. The door opened, and a man stepped out, looked around nervously, then turned and locked the door behind him.

_Well, Lars Felwyn may be richer, but he hasn't aged well_, Zedd thought. _He's gained a lot of weight—more than enough to offset the hair he's lost._

"Hello, Lars," Zedd said, stepping out from the alley, and the man whirled in surprise.

"Zorander?" he said, looking around wildly for a way to escape. "But I thought you were--"

"Dead?" Zedd interrupted. "And leave without seeing you again? Why, I couldn't possibly have missed that chance."

"I heard you were traveling with the Seeker," Lars said, licking his lips nervously.

_Ah_, Zedd thought. _He's worried about Kahlan. Well, I can certainly use that_. "I am, though he's a little busy at the moment. It's too bad--I'm sure he and the Mother Confessor would love to meet you."

Lars coughed uncomfortably. "What, uh, brings you to Middleton?" he said, his voice cracking slightly.

Zedd gave him a knowing look. "Please, Lars. You know exactly why I'm here. Stonebane was always a specialty of yours."

"Stonebane?" Lars said, trying to appear surprised and failing utterly. "I haven't made any in years."

Zedd looked thoughtfully down the street. "You know, it's just possible Kahlan may have gotten here ahead of me. Why don't we go down to the inn? I can introduce you to her. I'm sure she'd be as interested in this conversation as I am."

Lars went white. "There's no need to bring the Confessor into this, Zorander--" he began.

"Into what?" Zedd said. "You just said you hadn't made stonebane in years. So obviously there isn't a 'this' to bring Kahlan into, is there?"

Lars swallowed hard. "Okay, so I may have sold some stonebane a week or so ago. A man has to make a living, doesn't he?"

Zedd looked him up and down. "A little less of a living would probably be better for you," he growled. "And definitely better for the rest of the world. A man is dead, Lars."

"I can't help that," Lars said defensively. "Stonebane makes a very good rat poison. That's all I sell it for. I can't be held responsible for what my customers do with it."

"An alchemist doesn't get this rich just selling rat poison," Zedd snapped, and something clicked in his head. _There's something more to this than just stonebane_, he thought. "But you're absolutely right, more's the pity," and Lars looked relieved. "Nevertheless, I can hold you responsible for protecting a murderer," Zedd added, stepping close enough that the alchemist backed away nervously. "That is, if you don't tell me exactly who you sold the stonebane to, and when."

Lars looked appalled. "I can't do that! It's bad for business!"

Zedd gave him a hard look. "Would you rather have this debate with the Confessor?"

Lars sighed, looking down at his feet. _No, at his stomach_, Zedd decided. _I doubt he's seen his feet in quite some time._ "All right, fine. I'll tell you. It was Bryce Marsters, from over at Crutchley Manor. He came in," he paused, mentally calculating, "nine days ago, I think."

_It's Bryce_, Zedd thought, relieved. _Now all I have to do is tell Kahlan, she'll interrogate Bryce, and we can end this. But Bryce wasn't there when Hugh died_. "If you're lying to me, Lars--"

Lars shook his head violently. "I'm not fool enough to lie when there's a Confessor around. That's the truth."

"Then tell me this--was there something special about this particular batch of stonebane?" Zedd asked, and the quietness of his tone was even more threatening than when he raised his voice.

Lars cringed, edging back toward his door. "Special?" he said warily. "I'm not sure what you mean…" and he trailed off at Zedd's warning look. He licked his lips again, and when Zedd raised his hands as though he was about to cast a spell, Lars was quick to raise his hands placatingly. "All right, all right! Don't get huffy! I developed a way to keep the stonebane from taking effect as fast." He actually looked proud of himself for a moment.

_So that's what I was missing_, Zedd thought. "For how long?" he asked.

Lars shrugged. "It depends on how it was delivered. A couple of hours, at most."

_And that's how Bryce was able to do it_, Zedd thought. He must have left with Will, come back, and when the glasses were set out for dinner, he slipped in and put the altered stonebane in Hugh's glass before everyone came to the table.

"Do you have any of this stonebane left?" Zedd said, and when Lars shook his head, he raised his hands again.

"Oh, for--are you trying to put me out of business?" Lars said.

"Yes," Zedd said. "I want it--all of it. And if I ever hear of you selling stonebane in any form again, I'll be back. With my friends. They're far less understanding about these things than I am. And they don't have the long friendship with you that I have."

Lars sighed, and Zedd followed him into the shop. He brought out a large packet made of brown paper. Zedd took it, and turned to leave, stopping at the door to say, "It was lovely to see you again, Lars. Do take care of yourself."

Lars watched him go, and ran quickly to the foot of the stairs. "Martha!" he yelled. "Wake up! We're leaving!"


	7. Chapter 7

_**The Bard's Tales: A Fell Purpose**_

**Chapter 7**

_Disclaimer: Kahlan, Zedd and Richard aren't mine. A warning: this chapter is very thinky. Bear with me--I spend a lot of my time in internal dialog. That's normal, isn't it? Isn't it?!_

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Kahlan spent the rest of the morning waiting--both for Zedd to get back and for her meeting with Glynis. That had looked like it might take a while—there had been at least a dozen women in the courtyard, and they'd all looked more than a bit distressed. _So am I,_ she thought.

She tried to reassure herself about the campaign by studying the map of the region Victor had left in the library. He'd been fairly close-mouthed about his plan, which was smart, but she knew where the rendezvous was. By noon, she had a good idea of what he was likely to do, and she actually felt a great deal better about it. Even if they're outnumbered, they can still pull it off given the terrain.

She finally looked up and noticed that the bread and cheese that Vera had told her Neala had sent up was sitting on a table by the door. She studied it for a moment. _I'll go downstairs later and ask Neala if she really sent it up. Though even if she did, that doesn't mean it's safe. It's been sitting here in the open where anyone could have gotten to it._ She went over to the window and poured herself a glass of water from the jug on the table there. She smelled it absently, but there was no odor to the water. She took a sip, and then realized what was bothering her. _Downstairs,_ she thought, and remembered Neala's words: _"Always slipping up and downstairs in the middle of the night." But Bryce's room is up here…_

Kahlan sat down at the table and stared at a blank sheet of paper. _Why would Vera be going downstairs?_ Unless Neala wasn't talking about her relationship with Bryce. Kahlan remembered coming downstairs the day before and seeing Vera talking to Will. At the time, she'd thought briefly that the affair might have been with him, but Vera's revelation about Bryce had steered her away from that thought. But now, after Bryce's admission of his affair with Alise Barber, maybe she needed to revisit that idea. _What if my first impression was right? If Bryce could be having two affairs, so could Vera._

_But what does that change?_ she asked herself. _Well, it does give Will a potential motive_. But Will hadn't had the opportunity. _Damn, that's the problem with everybody in this house! Nobody had the opportunity to kill Hugh except the people in that room, and they're all innocent. _

It was getting hot in the library, now that the sun had risen high enough to shine in the east-facing windows. She picked up the water glass, but she'd already finished it. She went over and got the jug from the table by the window, but it was empty, too. She sighed. _So I'll check with Neala now. Maybe a miracle will occur and she'll point me right to the murderer_, she thought, taking the jug downstairs with her, but she knew better. Sure enough, Neala was no help.

"I did take that up to you," Neala said apologetically. "I'm sorry, I meant to tell you, but in all the hubbub, it went clean out of my head."

"That's quite all right, I just wanted to thank you for it," Kahlan said.

"Oh, it was no trouble, my dear," Neala said, looking disconcerted. "And I should thank you. It was right good of you to tell everyone at dinner last night that I didn't poison the master."

Kahlan smiled. "I don't like leaving anyone under a cloud of suspicion when I know they're innocent, Neala."

Neala bowed to her. "Even so, I'm grateful to you." She paused a moment, then blushed slightly. "I don't suppose that wizard of yours is back yet, is he?"

"Not yet," Kahlan said, wondering what this was about.

"Is there anything he's particularly fond of, foodwise, I mean?"

Kahlan blinked. _Honestly, Zedd, I don't know how you do it. You'd think Richard would be the ladykiller, but he doesn't hold a candle to you._ "Actually, Neala, I think if it's chewable and fits in his mouth, he'd be happy."

Neala looked inordinately pleased by that, which was even more baffling to Kahlan. Neala bowed again, then bustled away to tend something on the fire.

When she turned her back, Kahlan grabbed a bunch of grapes and a pear out of a bowl on the counter, then filled the water jug from the barrel in the kitchen. She went back up to the library, taking a bite of the pear as she went up the stairs. She set the water down on the table in the library, then grabbed her glass and filled it. Before she drank, she smelled it carefully, but there was still no odor. _Oh, honestly, I'm getting paranoid. I just got this water myself! The murderer would have to be crazy to poison the drinking water everyone in the manor uses._ She took a large swallow in annoyance, set the glass down on the table she'd been sitting at, and began writing more notes for herself.

**********

Richard rode silently beside Victor, and the Resistance leader was beginning to worry about him. He hadn't said a word in the past hour. "What is it, Richard?"

Richard started, surprised, and looked over at Victor. He thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I don't know. I keep feeling like I'm missing something, like there's a clue that's right in front of me, but I can't see it."

"Don't worry. Kahlan will figure it out," Bryce said, riding up next to them.

Richard shook his head. "That's just it. It's about Kahlan." He looked up, and there was worry in his eyes. "I know she was worried about leaving me, but I don't like leaving her alone there, either. Not when she's such an obvious target for the murderer."

Victor looked hard at Richard. "You think the murderer's still there?" he asked. "But there's hardly anyone left there--most of the possible suspects we know of are with us now. And wouldn't a D'Haran spy be more likely to be with us, too?"

"I don't know," Richard said, clearly frustrated. "I'm not convinced it is a D'Haran spy, and neither is Kahlan. But either way, my instincts are telling me she's in danger."

Bryce pulled up his horse, and Victor and Richard both stopped as well, looking back at him. "Then I think I should go back there."

Richard shook his head. "No," he said reluctantly. "Kahlan would be furious if I risked the success of this battle because I was worried about her. You're needed here as much as Victor is."

"But she's far more important to the Resistance as a whole," Bryce said, looking concerned. "This is just one battle--"

"The most important battle we've fought yet," Victor said. "I'm as worried about her as you are, Bryce, but Richard's right. I need you here."

"Besides," Richard said, "Zedd will be getting back there soon. She'll be fine with him there."

Bryce looked as though that didn't reassure him at all. _I don't blame him_, Richard thought as they rode on. _I'm not feeling reassured myself._

**********

Two hours later, Kahlan was still nowhere near a solution, and Glynis still wasn't there.

"Excuse me, Confessor," Aylwin said from the door. "Mrs. Haviland asked me to come tell you she'll be here soon. Her meeting with the other women has taken longer than she expected."

Kahlan nodded. "Thank you, Aylwin."

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" he asked solicitously.

"No, Aylwin, I'm just fine," she said. "But thank you for asking." He nodded and left.

Kahlan sighed, and took a sip of water, leaning back in her chair. _Motives everywhere, but there just aren't enough people who had opportunity_, she thought. _If Glynis is innocent, then I don't know what to do next._

She banged her fist down on the table. _How had they done it?_ she thought. _There has to be some other way it was administered than by the food or the wine. But if that were the case,_ she thought wryly,_ I'd probably be dead already_.

Kahlan's stomach growled. She rolled her eyes, and took a bite out of the pear she'd sneaked out of the kitchen, then ate a few grapes.

She decided to start at the beginning again. The timing was the problem. _So could there be something else at work, something that might change __when__ the poison--?_

"Good afternoon, Confessor," Glynis said from the door, and Kahlan rose to meet her. _What a relief, _Kahlan thought_. At least now I can stop my brain from running around in circles for a while_. Then she noticed Glynis's eyes were red-rimmed. "I'm sorry it took me so long to get here."

"Are you all right, Glynis?" Kahlan said, taking her arm and leading her into the room.

"I'm fine," she said, sniffing a little. "It's just…all those women, they're all so worried…"

"It will be all right," Kahlan said reassuringly. "Will is in good hands."

"That's…that's not it," she started, then took a deep breath.

Something in her voice made Kahlan look at her again. "Is there something wrong, Glynis?" Kahlan asked, wondering if she already suspected her husband.

Glynis looked torn. "I…" She stopped, shaking her head. "It's probably nothing, and it certainly isn't anything you need to worry about."

"It may not be, but it clearly has you worried," Kahlan said kindly. "Sometimes just talking about something can help."

Glynis smiled at her, and Kahlan was struck again by how such a simple thing could change her face entirely. _I can see why Will fell for her, and why Victor seems to be_, Kahlan thought. "You're so kind, Confessor. And you're right. I should talk about it. It's Will," Glynis said, and Kahlan felt her pulse racing. "I've been noticing things--little things, the sort of things most people wouldn't think twice about, but a wife pays attention to. I think--" She stopped, biting her lip. "I think he's seeing someone else," she said in a rush.

Kahlan tried to cover her triumphant smile. _And there it is_, she thought, _confirmation_. She might not have all the answers yet, but she finally felt like she was on the right track. _But Glynis doesn't need to know that, not yet anyway, _she thought, knowing this was going to hurt her terribly. "I'm so sorry," Kahlan said, trying to concentrate on the woman in front of her, and steadying her breathing so she didn't give away her thoughts. "Do you know who it is?"

"I have my thoughts," Glynis said grimly. "It's not as though there are many options around here." She stopped, blushing. "Don't mind me. It's just been an emotional day, and we're only halfway through it. But I know you have more important things to worry about."

Kahlan smiled at her. _We can change the subject if you want_, she thought. "Please, sit down. So I understand you arrived at the manor the evening that Hugh died?" Kahlan asked, guiding her to a chair, then sitting down herself.

Glynis nodded, biting her lip. "I'd hoped to be back before Will left to scout the D'Harans, but we were slowed down by muddy roads. And by Vera needing to stop every fifteen minutes. It was like she was trying to keep me from getting back in time." She sighed in exasperation. "We got there just as everyone was going in to dinner."

"But Will had already gone, right? He left that morning," Kahlan said, remembering what Victor and Bryce had both told her.

Glynis looked confused. "No, I just missed him. I saw him riding north away from the gate just as our carriage pulled in. If it hadn't been for Vera, I could have seen him," she said with a wistful look.

Kahlan froze. "I see," she said slowly, keeping her face carefully neutral, but inside she was surprised. She'd been half-expecting the revelation about Will's affair, but not this. _Will Haviland was here?_ she thought. _But why go to all the trouble to set up the impression he'd left that morning, then come back and leave again before the dinner began?_ That didn't make any sense. The only time the poison could have been administered was after dinner--

_Wait…what if Zedd is wrong?_ Kahlan thought suddenly, returning to her earlier train of thought. _Everything we've been thinking has been based on the timing, because of the way stonebane works. But what if somehow Will was able to delay the onset of the stonebane, or it was some other poison that Zedd hadn't seen before that mimicked those symptoms?_

If so, it was brilliant. Will had a triple line of defense--first, the possibility that people would think Hugh had died of natural causes, then if that didn't work then once the poison was identified, everyone would believe that Hugh had to have gotten it only minutes before he collapsed, which left only a tiny window of opportunity. And finally, if the delayed action was discovered, he would have had his alibi for the time it could have been administered.

It was a long-shot--it all depended on the possibility of a delayed onset for the symptoms of stonebane. And that theory was predicated only on the fact that Will had been there just before dinner. But it was the first theory she had that actually explained more than it confused.

_This changes everything_, Kahlan thought. _We've been operating under the assumption that Will was in the clear, which is why I hadn't talked to him yet. That, and the fact that he hasn't been around much. Almost like he's been avoiding me… Oh, I'm a fool! I was so focused on Bryce seeming to avoid me that I didn't even notice how hard Will was working to do just that!_

Glynis was looking at her, frowning. "I'm sorry, I was thinking of something else for a moment," Kahlan said, and she realized her heart was pounding. She stopped to take a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

"That's all right," Glynis said. "There's been a lot for all of us to think about these days." She stopped, frowning again. "Is something wrong, Confessor? You seem…pale."

"No…no, I'm fine…" Kahlan said slowly, but her mind was still plunging ahead. _Even Glynis thinks it's Vera that Will's seeing. And Vera had tried to suggest Bryce as a suspect, too. But she saw me talk to him this morning, so she knows I don't believe he did it._ Her heart was pounding even harder now.

_Oh, no_, Kahlan thought with a sinking feeling. _There's more to my heart racing than just solving the mystery._ She stood up, suddenly aware of some odd sensations. _My lips are numb,_ she thought, furious with herself for not noticing it sooner. She reached up to touch them. _Oh, spirits! Not now, not when I'm so close_, and then realized that's exactly why it was happening now. _How could I have __missed__ it? _she thought, looking around at the possible sources._ The fruit? No, there's no way to poison fruit like that. And I got the water myself…_

"Confessor?" Glynis was saying behind her. She sounded worried.

Kahlan stopped cold._ It wasn't in the water. It was in the __glass__, which was probably the same way they got to Hugh. I left it here when I went downstairs. Anyone could have…oh, I'm an __idiot__._ She felt her chest tighten in fear. _Stop it_, she thought. _You don't have time to think about anything but getting help_. She turned back to Glynis, and the room tilted crazily around her as she tried to catch her breath. She grabbed for the edge of the table, missed, and fell. "Glynis," she gasped, "hurry…get Zedd!"

"But Confessor--" she started to say, leaning forward to take Kahlan's arm.

Kahlan clutched at her hand. "Go now! Zedd's the only one who can help me! Tell him…" She caught her breath, trying to finish. "…the water…" _It's happening too fast. There's not enough time. Zedd could still be miles away._

"You…you've been poisoned, too!" Glynis breathed, looking up at the water glass on the table. She looked back at Kahlan, her eyes wide, then squeezed Kahlan's hand. "You hang on! I'll bring him!" she said emphatically, dropped Kahlan's hand, and ran for the door.

Kahlan watched her go, trying to take deep breaths, but it didn't seem to be helping. No matter how deeply she breathed, she still felt like she wasn't getting any air. She reached for the table, pulling herself up, trying to get to the pen. _Zedd's not going to make it in time, and __I have to warn them_, she thought. _Haviland isn't here. He may have killed Hugh, but he couldn't have done __this__. And I'm the only one who knows who did.._. But even as she reached for the pen, she knew it was too late.


	8. Chapter 8

The Bard's Tales: A Fell Purpose Chapter 8

_Disclaimer: Kahlan, Zedd and Richard aren't mine. If I were making money off this, I'd take the time to come up with some really dynamite magical chants for Zedd to use. But instead, all you get is a choice between, "Shlemiel, shlamozle, hasenpheffer incorporated!" or nothing. Take the nothing. Trust me. p.s. With regard to chapter 7, it wouldn't be a BuggyQ story without a cliffhanger (sorry, Ryalin :-)._

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"Wizard! Wizard!" Zedd heard a woman calling, and he turned from the horse he'd just dismounted. Glynis Haviland was running across the courtyard toward him, her skirts hiked up and her tiny legs pumping faster than he would have thought possible. "Oh, thank the spirits you're here! I thought I'd have to ride--" She stopped, shaking her head. "Never mind. Hurry! You…have to come," she panted. "The Confessor…she's been poisoned!"

"What?!" Zedd said, and ran for the door. _But Bryce left with Victor this morning_, he thought, confused. Not now, he told himself, outpacing Glynis with his long legs, climbing the stairs two at a time. He skidded to a stop at the library door, and saw her lying on the floor beside the table, one arm stretched out toward the door. Her eyes were closed, and her lips were blue.

_Oh, spirits_, he thought, kneeling next to her. He put his face next to hers, and felt the ghost of a breath. _That's my girl_, he thought with a flicker of hope. _Whoever did this didn't count on your strength, or on my being here to help you_. He held his hands over her, and began chanting, hoping it wasn't too late.

He heard Glynis come into the room, but he didn't look up. He closed his eyes, feeling the power surge against the sensation of black energy from the stonebane dragging Kahlan down. _I won't let you take her_, he thought, feeding some of his strength into her, trying to give her the seconds she needed for his magic to work. He could feel his hands shaking as he pushed harder against the darkness. He sensed Kahlan's spirit rallying, and he sent a last surge into her, and felt the blackness shatter.

Zedd sagged forward, one hand braced on the floor beside Kahlan's still face.

"Is…is she…?" he heard Glynis ask from behind him.

He shook his head. "I don't know yet," he said. "The poison is gone, but I don't know how much damage it did to her before I got here." He looked down at her. Her lips were still blue, and she was far too pale, but she was still breathing.

"She said to tell you it was the water," Glynis said, and she handed him the glass from the table. It was still half-full. "And I'm not sure, but I think she'd figured something out."

"But she didn't tell you what it was," Zedd said, sighing with frustration.

"She didn't get the chance to," Glynis said. "I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do?"

Zedd looked back down at Kahlan and then closed his eyes. "Yes," he said finally. "I need you to send word to the Seeker. He'll want to be here."

"I understand," Glynis said, and there was an unexpected compassion in her voice. "I'll send someone to help you with her."

"Glynis," Zedd said, looking up at her, and she stopped at the door. "Thank you. I think you saved her life."

Glynis blushed slightly, and smiled. "She was…kind to me. Not many are. I'm glad I could help."

She left, and Zedd was alone with Kahlan. He gently brushed a lock of her dark hair away from her face. He was always amazed at how gentle her face looked when she slept. He took her hand in his. "You'd better wake up soon, Kahlan," he said quietly. "Richard's liable to tear this place down around our ears to find whoever did this to you." _And I think I'll help him_, Zedd thought grimly.

**********

Richard came in hours later that evening, covered in sweat and road dust. "How is she?" he said the moment he entered the room. He ran to the side of the bed she'd been placed in and grabbed her hand.

Zedd rose from the chair he'd been sitting in. "She's holding her own," he said quietly, not wanting to risk disturbing Kahlan if she were just sleeping. "I won't be able to tell you exactly how she is till she wakes up. And I have no idea when that will be."

Richard stared at the unconscious Confessor for a long moment, trying to master his emotions. He finally looked up at Zedd. "How did this happen?"

Zedd clenched his jaw, then took a deep breath. "Lars Felwyn," he said. "I just got back from talking to him. He's developed a way of delaying the onset of symptoms from stonebane."

Richard frowned. "But why--" He stopped. "Oh," he said, raising his eyebrows. "So when Hugh was poisoned, the poison could have been put in his glass much earlier than we thought."

"Exactly," Zedd said. "And more than that, the normal smell of stonebane wouldn't have been apparent. That's why neither Hugh nor Kahlan noticed it." He shook his head. "I never should have left her here alone."

Richard shook his head. "This could have happened to her whether you were here or not, Zedd. And you were here when it counted. Thank you," he said fervently.

Zedd shook his head. "It's not me you should thank. It's Glynis. If she hadn't gotten me to Kahlan as quickly as she did, I wouldn't have been able to do anything for her."

"Glynis?" Richard said, clearly surprised. "Then--"

Zedd nodded. "I've pretty well ruled her out as a suspect. Not because of this, necessarily--it is possible she could have poisoned Kahlan, and been surprised by my unexpected return. But that's not why. It's Bryce, Richard."

Richard frowned. "No, it can't be."

Zedd shook his head. "I know he wasn't here when Hugh died. But he was at the alchemist's shop. Lars knew him by sight, and he picked up a packet of Felwyn's stonebane."

"No, Zedd, you don't understand," Richard said emphatically. "Kahlan talked to Bryce this morning. I was there. He swore he hadn't murdered Hugh, and Kahlan said he was telling the truth."

Zedd blinked in confusion. "But--" He stopped, shaking his head. "He must have had an accomplice then, someone who did it for him so he could truthfully say he hadn't done it."

Richard shook his head. "He said he'd had absolutely nothing to do with Hugh's death."

"He had to have!" Zedd said.

"Zedd, you told me that a Confessor can't be lied to," Richard said. "Kahlan believed him."

Zedd swore under his breath. He looked over at Kahlan. As he did, he caught sight of the tray on the table beside the bed, and it set him thinking again. "There's something else," he said, nodding at the tray. "That food was left in the library this morning. Take a whiff." He picked up a chunk of cheese and waved it under Richard's nose.

Richard wrinkled his nose, then frowning in confusion. "But…Kahlan couldn't have missed that smell," he said.

"And I already found Felwyn's special blend in the water," Zedd said. "So why would someone go to the trouble of poisoning the cheese so obviously?"

Richard looked down at Kahlan for a moment, then his eyes narrowed. "What if somebody else wanted us to think Bryce was guilty? He was here this morning, presumably when the cheese would have been set out," Richard said. "He was gone during most of the time Kahlan was doing interviews, and then, on his way back, he was attacked. He caught an arrow in the arm."

"That could have been D'Harans. I ran into a patrol on my way to Middleton," Zedd said.

"True, but if it was someone other than Bryce who killed Hugh, then wouldn't it have been awfully convenient if one of the prime suspects died before Kahlan got to talk to him?"

"I'd have come back here with the news about the stonebane, and we'd have all assumed he was guilty," Zedd said, nodding.

"And today, when whoever it was found out Kahlan had talked to Bryce--"

"She'd have had to kill Kahlan to keep her from telling what she knew," Zedd said.

"She--?" Richard said. "You think it was Vera?"

"She was the one who told me to ask at the alchemist's about Bryce. She said she'd seen him there the day before she came back here." Zedd frowned. "She must have asked him to pick it up for her."

"But…that still doesn't explain how Hugh was killed," Richard said, realizing there was a flaw in their theory. "Vera wasn't here when he had to have been poisoned--she was with Glynis in a carriage. And she told Kahlan she didn't do it. She may have tried to kill Kahlan, but she didn't kill Hugh."

"Then there's someone else," Zedd said. "And it shouldn't be hard to figure out now. All we have to do is find the person who had access to Hugh's glass before dinner, and hadn't been interviewed by Kahlan yet."

"Will Haviland," Richard said after thinking for a moment.

"But he wasn't here the day Hugh died," Zedd said. "He--oh, I'm an idiot."

"It's nice to hear you say that about yourself for a change," Richard said, grinning, "but what brought on this sudden insight?"

"I'd already figured out that Bryce could have done it by coming back after he left with Will. Will could have done the same thing," Zedd said.

"Exactly," Richard said. "Will was the only one who hadn't been questioned by Kahlan, and looking back on it, it was almost as if he was avoiding her. It was his idea to go on that scouting mission with Victor and me."

Zedd looked steadily at Richard. "If it's Will, and Vera was trying to kill Kahlan to cover their tracks, and somebody already took a shot at Bryce--"

"--that means Bryce is in danger," Richard broke in.

Zedd nodded slowly. "But the murderer is clearly not stupid—if it is Will, he'd try to make it look like an accident or..." Zedd trailed off, and looked worriedly over at Richard. "He'll try to do it during the battle," Zedd said.

Richard returned Zedd's stare grimly. "It all makes sense now, doesn't it? And it doesn't really matter if he's working for the D'Harans or not--he gains either way. You have to admit, it's a pretty good motive. Once Hugh was out of the way, with Bryce as the murderer, then I'd be willing to bet Victor would be next, and then Will would become the leader of the Resistance in this valley."

"It's all well and good that we've figured it out," Zedd said, "but we have no proof. And until Kahlan wakes up, we're not likely to get any."

Richard nodded, looking down at the hand he was still holding. "Which means Vera would feel a whole lot safer if Kahlan were actually dead." Richard looked down at Kahlan's still face again, his lips tight. "We need her to try again. And I'll be here waiting."


	9. Chapter 9

_**The Bard's Tales: A Fell Purpose**_

**Chapter 9**

_Disclaimer: Kahlan, Zedd and Richard aren't mine. Oh, how I wish they were. I would __so__ have Richard fluff my pillows._

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Richard trotted down the stairs to the main hall and caught sight of Glynis at the bottom. _Just who I needed_, he thought, relieved he wouldn't have to hunt her down. "Glynis!" he called quietly, and caught up to her as she turned to look up at him.

"How is she?" she asked, and the unfeigned concern she showed gave Richard even more reason to trust her with the task he had in mind.

"She's not awake yet, but Zedd says she'll be fine," he said, and he didn't have to fake the relief. Zedd had assured him that was true moments earlier. _Now for the hard part_, he thought. "I have to tell you something, and it's not going to be easy to hear."

"Will killed Hugh," she said steadily, as though she'd been bracing herself for the news for some time.

"You knew?" Richard said, frowning.

"No," she said, "but Kahlan seemed so shocked when I said Will had been here just before dinner the night Hugh died--"

"He was?"

She nodded. "When Kahlan reacted that way, I'd have to be an idiot not to figure it out."

Richard sighed. "I'm sorry, Glynis. I wish--"

Glynis put her hand up to stop him. "If Will was capable of such an act, he's not worth me spending any energy feeling sorry about him." She blinked back tears for an instant, but set her jaw stubbornly.

Richard could see now why Kahlan had been so impressed by her. "Will's an idiot to let you go," he said admiringly, and she blushed. "I wonder if you'd be willing to help Zedd and me."

"Me? How?"

"Will wasn't acting alone," Richard began.

"Vera," she interrupted, nodding, as if it were obvious. _Where were you when we were all so confused about this?_ Richard thought. "If there's anything I can do to help take her down, you can count on me."

"I need you to spread the word that Kahlan is in bad shape," Richard whispered, "that it could go either way for her. That's why Zedd's so worried, and why he's staying with her."

Glynis looked perceptively at him, then smiled wryly. "I'll tell Neala," she said, and from what Kahlan had told him already, he realized that was the best way to get the story out quickly. "Is there anything else I can do?"

Richard nodded. "I'm going to be leaving soon. I need to get back to Victor before the battle," he said, which was true as far as it went. "I need you to pass that along, too." He lowered his voice. "Zedd and I have a plan. Go upstairs to Kahlan's room in a couple of hours. He'll take it from there."

Her eyes went wide, then she smiled grimly. "You can count on me, Seeker," she said and Richard started back up the stairs. She grabbed his arm before he could go far. "Be careful," she said earnestly. "I don't want anything to happen to either of you."

Richard grinned. "Don't you worry," he said, and winked.

**********

"NO!" a woman's voice shrieked in the hallway. "No, I don't believe it! It couldn't have been him! Not my Will!"

Vera opened her door and peeked out into the hallway.

"Glynis, please," Zedd said, taking her shoulders, and looking nervously into Kahlan's room. "Kahlan's still very ill. You mustn't disturb her."

"But why?" Glynis cried. "Why would he do this--to Hugh, to her? And Bryce, too?"

"Come," Zedd said, half-leading, half-dragging her toward the stairs. "What you need is a good dose of brandy."

"I've just the thing," Neala said from the stairs. "You come down here, and we'll take care of everything. Don't you worry--it will all work out."

"Work out?!" Glynis said, sounding almost hysterical. "Work out?!"

"Come now, Glynis," Zedd said, and he and Neala were able to manhandle her down the stairs. "There's nothing you can do for Will now anyway, my dear. He's dead, and you'll just have to cope with that."

Vera watched as they reached the landing and started down the rest of the stairs, then tiptoed down the hall to Kahlan's room and looked in. There was no one there but the Confessor, who looked almost as white as her gown.

Vera frowned, looking around again. She went over to the bed, sat down on the edge of it and took Kahlan's hand. "Confessor?" she said quietly. "Kahlan?" No response. Vera bit her lip. She got up and paced beside the bed, her forehead furrowed in thought. She went back to the door, listening, and there was the faint sound of crying from downstairs.

Vera turned decisively and went back over to the bed. She shook Kahlan by the shoulder. "Confessor! You have to wake up!" Nothing. Vera leaned forward and pulled the pillow out from behind Kahlan's head, and poised it over her face.

"I think that's supposed to go on the bottom side of her head, not the top," Richard said dryly from the door, and Vera whirled, the pillow still in her hands. "But it's awfully kind of you to fluff it for her."

"I was…she…" Vera began, then saw the hard look in Richard's eyes as he leaned against the doorframe, his arms crossed in front of him.

"Don't bother, Vera. Will has already told us everything."

"Will!? But he's--" She stopped, and the look she gave Richard was venomous. "You set--" she began, then stopped herself, looking trapped.

"Why don't you come with me, now, Vera," Richard said, patting the hilt of his sword pointedly. "I'd rather not have to force you."

She suddenly looked defeated, and nodded, her eyes filling with tears. "I didn't want to--Will told me if I didn't she'd Confess me!" she burst out, coming towards Richard. He took the pillow from her and nodded towards the hallway, stepping back just out of her reach.

"Zedd!" Richard called. "It's over!"

Glynis, Neala and Zedd came running up the steps. Glynis was smiling triumphantly, but Zedd just looked relieved. Richard handed him the pillow. "Go look after Kahlan. I'll take care of Vera. Is there a place we can hold her safely?"

Neala nodded, glowering at the redhead. "There's a cozy little storeroom just off the kitchen that locks from the outside," she said. "I'll keep her locked up tight till the morning."

Vera glared at her, then seemed to remember she was trying to look innocent. Richard shook his head. "Hold on," he said, then ducked into his room and came out seconds later with a length of rope. "I don't trust this one," he said, tying her arms behind her. He and Neala dragged her downstairs, ignoring her protests that it had all been Will's doing.

Zedd restored Kahlan's pillow, lifting her head gently, and looked sharply at her when she seemed to stir slightly. "Kahlan?" he said quietly, but she didn't respond.

"Is she awake?" Glynis said from the door.

Zedd shook his head. "Not yet," he said quietly, taking Kahlan's hand.

Richard came in a few minutes later. "We locked her in the storeroom, and Neala's keeping watch on her," Richard said. "Now we have to leave, Zedd."

Glynis nodded at them. "Go get Will before he goes after Bryce. I'll stay here and keep an eye on the Confessor."

Richard looked at her, then pulled her into a hug. "Thank you, Glynis. For everything. I wish for your sake we didn't have to do this," he said. _And for mine_, he thought. _I hate to leave her like this_.

"But you do," she said, pulling away after a moment. "Don't worry about me. I'll live. And I'll make sure she does, too," she added, nodding at Kahlan.

"She's likely to wake up soon," Zedd said, "though I'm betting she'll be wishing she hadn't."

"Why?" Richard said.

"She's going to have a headache like you can't imagine," Zedd said.

**********

The first thing Kahlan was aware of was that her head hurt. A lot. She tried to open her eyes, but the light hurt even worse. She tried to raise her hand to shield them, and someone took her hand. "Rest easy, Confessor. Here," a woman's voice said, and Kahlan felt a damp cloth against her eyelids. "The wizard said your head would hurt."

_That was an understatement_, Kahlan thought. The coolness helped, though, and Kahlan reached up to move the cloth and opened her eyes to find Glynis looking at her with concern. "Where's Richard?" she said, her voice ragged. _Why isn't he here?_ And then she remembered what had happened.

"It's all right," Glynis said. "He's fine. He had to leave to take care of something, but he'll be back. And trust me, it took a lot to get him to leave." She smiled down at Kahlan. "How do you feel?"

"It's Will," Kahlan said quickly, needing to be sure someone else knew in case something else happened. "And Vera. They were working together."

Glynis nodded. "Don't worry. We know. We have Vera already, and Richard left to collect Will."

Kahlan sighed and closed her eyes in relief, then looked up at Glynis again, struggling to ignore the raging headache. "I owe you my life, Glynis," she said.

Glynis smiled and waved away the thanks. "I'm just glad I got to see the look on Vera's face when Richard told her Will had spilled the beans on her." The self-satisfied look changed to sadness. "I wish I could be sure this was all Vera's idea, but I think Will's entirely capable of doing all this himself."

"Oh, Glynis, I'm sorry," Kahlan said tiredly, realizing how much this must hurt her. "I wish it hadn't been him."

Glynis shook her head, wiping away a stray tear. "I've known this was coming for a long time--well, not this exactly," she said, realizing how ridiculous it sounded, "but that it was over with Will. And more than that, that he wasn't the man I'd always wanted him to be. I've been bracing for some sort of bad news about him for a while." She gave Kahlan a wan smile. "At least he's taking Vera down with him. It couldn't happen to a better person."

Kahlan gave a faint laugh. "So it was Vera who put the poison in my water?" she asked, going along with Glynis' desire to change the subject.

Glynis nodded. "Zedd thinks she got it from an alchemist. It was altered magically so it wouldn't appear till it was in the victim. That's why you didn't smell or taste it."

"And it took longer to take effect," Kahlan said. "That's why Will was able to poison Hugh."

"You'd figured that out already?" Glynis said, impressed.

"A little later than I wish, or I'd have gone out to the well for my water," Kahlan said wryly, and Glynis laughed. "I was lucky you were there," Kahlan added, unwilling to let Glynis get away without accepting her thanks. She grasped Glynis' hand. "I meant what I said before. If there's anything I can ever do to repay you--"

"Thank you, Confessor--" Glynis began, but Kahlan broke in.

"I think after everything we've been through, you could call me Kahlan," she said.

"Mrs. Haviland!" Aylwin said breathlessly from the door. "Come quick! I need your help! There's a fire in the stables, and there's no one else here to fight it!"

Glynis looked down at Kahlan, frowning, then jumped to her feet. "Go get the other Resistance wives," she said to Aylwin. "They haven't left yet, and they can help." Aylwin nodded, looking embarrassed that he hadn't thought of that, and hurried away. Glynis looked back down at Kahlan, her lips tight. "I need to go check on Vera. I have a feeling she's behind this, and if she got out, she had to go through Neala to do it." she said. "But I don't want to leave you alone."

Kahlan shook her head, then tried to hold still as the room spun around her. "Don't worry. I'm fine. I can take care of myself," she lied. "You can go check on her, then come back."

Glynis looked torn, then nodded. "Don't stay in this bed," she said. "I doubt if Vera will come after you again, but I wouldn't take any chances with that snake."

Kahlan nodded, sitting up carefully, and regretted both immediately. Her head felt like it was about to split open, but she was able to stay upright. Glynis was looking at her uncertainly. "Are you sure you're up to this?" she asked.

"I'm fine," Kahlan said. "Go. She might have hurt Neala. And I don't want her getting away. She knows too much about the Resistance."

Glynis' eyes widened. "I hadn't thought of that," she said, and turned and ran for the door.

Kahlan swung her legs off the edge of the bed, and stayed there a moment, willing the pulsing in her head to stop. _At least they didn't take off my clothes_, she thought. She reached down and pulled one of her daggers from her boot. She braced the other hand on the bed frame and struggled to stand up. She fought down another wave of dizziness, standing still and hoping it would pass. It eased a bit after a few seconds, but she didn't trust herself to move quickly.

There was a sound from the door, and Kahlan looked up to see a disheveled and furious Vera enter the room. She looked surprised to see Kahlan standing, but she recovered quickly. "So you're up," she said, and her voice was venomous. "But I'll bet you're not feeling all that well. And your Seeker isn't here to protect you this time." She held up a dagger significantly.

"What makes you think I need protecting?" Kahlan said evenly, standing straight and letting go of the bedframe, hoping she was really up to standing on her own. She raised her own dagger.

Vera snorted derisively. "You were unconscious an hour ago. There's no way you can fight me."

Kahlan stared coldly at her. "Are you sure? And what makes you think you could take me down when Rahl's Dragon Corps couldn't? Do you really think you're stronger than a Mord Sith?"

Vera stared at her defiantly, but there was doubt in her eyes. And she wasn't attacking yet.

"Why didn't you just run, Vera? You could have gotten away," Kahlan said, stalling for time. _Please don't let her see how much my head hurts_, Kahlan thought, trying to keep it from showing. _Hurry, Glynis_. "You might even have been able to get to Will before Richard and Zedd got to him. Why not save your lover instead of coming after me?"

Vera laughed. "You think I care about Will?" she said incredulously. "He was a tool. Nothing more. And if it hadn't been for his skimming money from the donations, none of this would have been necessary. Greedy fool!"

Kahlan frowned. "Then why--?"

"You really think your Seeker can stand up to the full might of the D'Harans and Lord Rahl? Don't be stupid," she said, starting towards Kahlan. "He's doomed to failure. Especially without his..." She was cut off by the shattering of a clay jug against the back of her head. She fell bonelessly to the floor in a puddle of water at Kahlan's feet and lay still. Above her, Glynis smiled at Kahlan, holding the broken handle of the jug.

"I've been dying to do that for months," she said. "It felt even better than I thought it would."

"You have…excellent timing," Kahlan said weakly, and she swayed slightly, the dagger hanging loosely in her hand. The pain in her head was growing to epic proportions. _ I think I need to sit down_, she thought vaguely, but wasn't sure how to do it.

"You weren't really up to fighting her, were you?" Glynis said, starting towards Kahlan.

Kahlan looked at her blankly for a moment, then the dagger fell from her hand and she slowly collapsed as Glynis reached her. Glynis was able to keep her head from hitting anything hard, and eased her back onto the bed with some considerable effort. "Well, I guess that's my answer," she said, smiling down at the unconscious Confessor. "Well played, Kahlan."


	10. Chapter 10

_**The Bard's Tales: A Fell Purpose**_

**Chapter 10**

_Disclaimer: Kahlan, Zedd and Richard aren't mine. __Yes, that last bit in Chapter 9 was my tribute to __The Princess Bride__. Yes, I steal from everybody. I have no shame. Or money. Go figure._

_It's the big finish, folks. Once again, thanks for coming along for the ride. (Fast posting due to the fabulous reviews from Ryalin. Let that be a lesson to all readers...;-)  
_

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Richard and Zedd rode into the Resistance camp in the pre-dawn darkness. They headed immediately for Victor's tent. Richard wasn't surprised to find him awake. He looked up in surprise as they ducked through the tent doorway.

"Richard! Is Kahlan--?" he started, and Richard raised his hands reassuringly.

"She'll be all right," Richard said. "Zedd was able to save her, though it was a near thing."

"Thank the spirits," Victor said, "and thank you, wizard. But why aren't you with her still?"

Richard's expression hardened. "Because we know who killed Hugh, and we think Bryce is his next target."

"Bryce?" Victor said, stunned. "But why? And who is it?"

Richard stepped close and put his hand on Victor's shoulder. "Is Will nearby?" he asked quietly.

Victor's face went through a kaleidoscope of emotions: first disappointment, then sorrow, and finally anger. But Zedd noticed that surprise hadn't been in the mix. "Follow me," Victor said, and there was cold fury in his voice.

He led them out of the tent and to the center of the camp, where there was a large fire with a group of men around it. "Will!" Victor called.

Will turned around and caught sight of the three men approaching. His face became wary. "What is it, Victor?" he said.

"It's over, Will," Richard said. "Vera told us everything."

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said, his eyes narrowing.

"Kahlan confessed her, Will," Zedd said.

Will swallowed, his eyes flitting around him, clearly looking for escape. Richard's hand went to his sword as Will grabbed for his own. Will spun around, waving the sword at the men around him, and they all pulled back. Will turned back to Richard, keeping his back to the fire.

"Will, please," Victor said. "Don't do this. You can't win."

"Shut up, Victor!" Will snapped. "You're not taking me. I won't end up as that Confessor's slave."

"You won't," Richard said. "I can tell you exactly how you'll end up."

"Oh, this is a waste of time," Zedd said, and raised his hand. Will tried to hold on to his sword, but it flew from his grasp into Zedd's hand. Will grabbed for a dagger, but the men around him seized his arms and held him.

"Bind him," Victor said. "And leave him in my tent."

"What's this all about, Victor?" Bryce said. "Is he the one who killed Hugh?"

"And tried to kill you," Richard said, nodding at Bryce's arm, still in the sling.

"Me? Why?" Bryce said.

"Did you stop at an alchemist's in Middleton last week?" Richard asked.

"Yes," Bryce said, baffled by the non-sequitur. "Vera asked me to--she'd ordered something…" His eyes widened. "Vera, too?"

Victor nodded. "She has been taken as well. We can go into battle knowing that the people responsible for the murder of Hugh Marsters will receive their punishment," Victor said, raising his voice.

There was a murmur of approval, mixed with shock and surprise. Victor turned back to Richard, looking tired.

"I'm sorry, Victor. I know Will was a friend," Richard said.

"I should have seen it sooner. If nothing else, I saw how he was with Glynis. If a man could treat such a good woman so badly…" Victor trailed off, not noticing the hint of a smile Zedd directed at Richard. Victor looked up again. "Was he working for the D'Harans?"

"I don't know," Richard said. "We still don't know all the details--that part about Kahlan having confessed Vera was a bluff."

Victor raised his eyebrows. "A bluff? Well, then, I think I need to have a talk with Will before..."

"Victor!" a man called, riding up on a lathered horse. "The D'Harans! They're coming!"

Victor looked up in shock. "So soon? But Will said--" He stopped, his eyes narrowed in anger. "So that was his plan." He set his jaw. "Call everyone to arms! We have to move fast if we're going to pull this off! Get everyone moving, now!"

There was a flurry of activity, but Richard was impressed by the organization. The army was ready to march in half an hour.

Victor made the most of the time he had. The scout told him the D'Harans had been about fifteen miles away from the spot they'd planned for their attack. "And there are more of them than we thought. At least a thousand," the scout said. He sounded terrified.

"It can still work," Victor said. "A group from Fenton just arrived, thanks to Bryce. We're up to five hundred men, and with the plan I have, they won't be able to draw on their full strength at any point during the attack. We're only four miles from the battlefield, so there's still time. Richard, I want you to take command of the reserve. I want to maximize the impact when you hit them from behind. Somehow I think they'll be intimidated by the Seeker showing up out of nowhere."

Richard nodded.

"And I'll go with him," Zedd said, grinning. "A little wizard's fire can go a long way."

When the army was ready, Victor rode up in front of them and raised his sword. The army fell silent.

"Men of the Midlands!" Victor shouted, and Richard was stunned by the strength and confidence in his voice. _Hugh was right_, Richard thought. "We have lived under the oppression of Darken Rahl for too long!" Victor continued. "We have seen our homes burned, our people starved, our men tortured, our children left orphaned. For too long! We have waited, watching as Darken Rahl spread his evil across the world. For too long! But today," he paused, and the intensity of his expression was electrifying, "today, the long wait ends! Today, you will show the D'Harans the strength of the Midlands! Today, we begin the liberation of our homeland! Today, we fight! Today, we win!!"

There was a roar like Richard had never heard.

"I'm with you, Victor," Bryce said, riding up. "If that's all right by you. I may not have been able to protect my brother, but I'll guard you with my life."

Richard looked at Zedd, surprised, though given Bryce's earlier concern about how his indiscretion could have hurt the Resistance, he probably shouldn't have been. _And after that speech_, Richard thought, _I think anybody would follow Victor, even into the underworld._

Victor clasped Bryce's arm, then turned his horse and rode towards the battlefield. The army surged after him. Richard and Zedd rode with them, at Victor's side, and Richard felt a wave of gratitude. _Today, I don't have to fight with the strength of a hundred_, he thought. _Today, I have five times that many fighting with me._

**********

Late in the afternoon, Glynis paced back and forth by the window in Kahlan's room. Kahlan had woken up once in the early morning, but her head had still hurt badly enough for it to show on her face. Her first question had been about Neala.

"She's fine," Glynis had told her, "though I think her head hurts almost as much as yours. I found her with a nasty lump on her head outside the closet we'd locked Vera in. I have no idea how Vera managed to get out. Neala was ready to make a stew out of Vera when she heard what she'd tried to do. But don't worry—Neala will be fine."

"And Richard?" Kahlan had asked, clearly fighting a losing battle to stay awake.

"No word yet, but he'll be back soon."

Kahlan had sighed, and closed her eyes. She'd been asleep since then.

Despite her reassurance to Kahlan, Glynis was worried--Richard and Zedd would have been back early in the morning if everything had gone right, but it was quickly approaching sunset. Zedd had promised to come back to check on Kahlan once they'd taken care of Will. The only thing she could think of that could have prevented him from keeping his promise was if the D'Harans had attacked. _But the D'Harans weren't supposed to arrive till tomorrow._

_What if Will knew enough of Victor's plan to have warned the D'Harans?_ Glynis thought, and her heart lurched. She glanced back at Kahlan, unable to bear the thought of her losing Richard. Especially if it was because of Will. _Damn the man_, she thought bitterly. _How could I have been so blind?_

_Because he was the first man who looked at you as though you were more than just a prostitute_, she told herself, then laughed inwardly. _I guess you should have held out for the second one_.

Glynis looked up, catching a motion out of the corner of her eye, and then felt a wave of relief. There were a dozen men on horseback coming over the hill on the northern road. She couldn't make out who they were, but they weren't D'Harans, and they were moving fast. _Thank heavens_, she thought, and then frowned. _It's not just Richard and Zedd. Why?_

She turned and ran for the door, and skidded to a stop when she saw Kahlan open her eyes. "Kahlan?" she said. "How is your head?"

"Better," she said, and sat up tentatively, then smiled. "Much better." She looked at Glynis. "What is it?"

Glynis smiled. "They're back," she said, and helped Kahlan to her feet. "Richard will be overjoyed to see you like this."

They made their way down the stairs, a little slower than Glynis would have liked, but as fast as Kahlan could manage. They got to the courtyard just in time to see the men arrive.

Richard was off his horse and by Kahlan's side in an instant. Glynis noticed a bandage on Richard's arm, and there was a line of dried blood along the side of his jaw. Kahlan noticed it, too.

"Are you all--?" she and Richard started to say at the same time, and both laughed.

"You first," Kahlan said. "I think you have the more interesting story to tell."

"We did it," Richard said, obviously dying to tell her the news. "Kahlan, we were outnumbered two to one, a thousand D'Harans. And we killed half of them, and captured another forty."

Kahlan's eyes widened. "So many?" she whispered. "But how--?"

"With the Seeker and a Wizard of the First Order fighting, do you even need to ask?" Zedd said, coming up and wrapping his arms around Kahlan. "It's good to see you looking well, my dear."

"Thank you, Zedd," she said, returning the hug. "But I want to know more about this battle."

"I actually had very little to do with it," Richard said. "It was him." He nodded at Victor as he joined them on the steps. "The man's a genius. Even with the D'Harans arriving a day earlier, his plan worked perfectly. He drew them down the valley, and they followed, just as he had planned. Zedd and I led the reserve in behind them, and we had them trapped, boxed in between the forest on both sides and our main force in front of them. I've never seen Zedd really let loose like that," he said, grinning at the wizard, who preened under the attention.

"Don't let him fool you," Victor said. "Richard fought like a lion. When he came in behind the D'Harans, and they realized who it was, it was all over."

"And our losses?" Kahlan asked, dreading the answer.

Richard smiled again. "Kahlan, it was a miracle. We only lost 50 men. The fighting was heavy at the start, but the D'Harans panicked after about a half an hour. A lot of them escaped into the trees." He shook his head. "I wouldn't want to be any of those men going back to Darken Rahl."

Kahlan closed her eyes, sending thanks to the spirits.

"How are you feeling?" Richard asked, apparently mistaking her relief for tiredness.

"Actually, a lot better than I did, and worlds better after hearing such good news," she said. "Congratulations, Victor."

"Thank you, Kahlan. But I owe you an apology. I never should have left you without--"

"If you hadn't," Kahlan said, "we might not have figured it out until Will had tried to kill Bryce." She looked up, and saw Glynis making her way over to her husband, who'd been pulled roughly off his horse and was being held by two of Victor's men, his hands still bound in front of him.

"Why, Will?" Glynis said quietly.

He laughed derisively. "Given a choice between you and Vera, which would you choose?"

Glynis turned red, and raised her hand to slap him, but before she could, Victor flew past her and backhanded Will so hard he knocked over one of the men holding him. Will lay stunned, and Victor stood over him, breathing hard.

"You know, Will, I knew you were a traitor. But until this moment, I didn't realize just how stupid you are," Victor said, looking as though he'd like to hit the man again. Glynis looked amazed, staring at Victor as if she'd never seen him before.

"He's not the only one," Kahlan said, and she nodded at the steps to the manor, where Vera was being dragged out by Neala, who had a bandage around her head. Vera's hands were bound behind her. Neala led her over to where Victor was standing with Richard, Kahlan and Zedd.

"Here she is, sir," Neala said. "What should we do with her?"

Kahlan looked appraisingly at Vera. She looked shaken and uncertain, her previous confidence gone. She wouldn't meet Kahlan's eyes.

"Will you tell us everything you know?" Victor asked her quietly.

"I don't know anything!" she protested, and it seemed almost like a reflex, because the moment she said it, her eyes flicked to Kahlan's, and she deflated. "Please," she whispered. "Don't Confess me."

"Tell us what you know, and you may have a chance," Richard said harshly.

"I was working for the D'Harans," she said, and it was like the floodgates opened. "I was using Will, trying to get him higher up in the ranks of the Resistance so he'd have access to more information. Hugh wasn't sharing anything with me, and I couldn't get the information I needed any other way. So I fed Will the times and places of a few D'Haran patrols, so he could gain Victor's confidence." Victor winced at that, looking over at where Will was struggling to his feet. "Then the idiot," Vera said derisively, shooting Will a deadly look, "began skimming part of the donations to the Resistance."

"Shut up, you--!" Will snapped.

Richard grabbed his arm, and nodded over at Kahlan. "One more word, Will, and I hand you over to her," he whispered, and Will went white.

"Go on, Vera," Kahlan said.

"Hugh got suspicious. He said something about it to me, and I made the mistake of telling Will. I thought he'd just stop stealing from the Resistance. But he panicked, threatened to hand me over to Hugh and blame it all on me if I didn't help him. So I got the idea to let Will kill Hugh and blame it on Bryce. I had the alchemist prepare a packet of poison and asked Bryce to pick it up for me while I was gone. I told him it was a potion for me, to help me conceive. I planned to hide it in his room, so it could be found later."

"You devious wench!" Bryce said. "Hugh would have been better off marrying a snake!"

"But before that, you gave enough to Will for him to use on Hugh," Zedd said.

She nodded. "But I told him I didn't want him to poison Hugh." She looked over at Kahlan again. "I knew if the Confessor came, I'd be in trouble, so I tried to give myself a way to tell the truth as much as possible."

"And after that?" Zedd said. "What prompted the attempt on Kahlan's life?"

"It was Will again!" Vera snapped. "If the idiot had been able to kill Bryce like he was supposed to, none of this would have happened. You'd have searched his room, found the poison, and assumed that he'd been the murderer." Will shot her a lethal look. "But he got back alive, and once you'd talked to Bryce, Will was ready to throw me to the wolves. He kept babbling about how you'd confess him, and I'd end up exposed anyway, so we had to get rid of you." She stopped, looking pleadingly at Kahlan. "Please, Confessor. That's everything I know. Please don't "

"Vera," Kahlan said, cutting her off. She stepped close to the woman and looked her steadily in the eye. "Answer me this: if I don't Confess you now, and I ask you to swear an oath of loyalty to the Resistance, can I trust you to be true to that oath?"

Vera's color drained even further. She swallowed and licked her lips. "Yes," she whispered tentatively.

Kahlan's hand shot out, grabbing Vera by the throat, and there was the clap of thunder that accompanied a Confession. Richard stepped forward and caught Kahlan as she sagged.

"Command me, my lady," Vera said, looking adoringly at Kahlan, and Richard found it just as disturbing as seeing that kind of worshipful attitude in a man.

Kahlan lifted her head after a long moment, and waved Richard off. He steadied her as she stood straight and looked at Vera with her jaw set. Then she looked around at the rest of the people in the courtyard, and raised her voice just enough for everyone to hear, pausing between each word: "Never lie to a Confessor." She looked back at Vera. "You will obey Victor as you would me. Do you understand?"

"Yes, my lady," she said, bowing her head.

Kahlan turned to Victor. "I think you might be able to use her against the D'Harans. She could feed them false information."

"Anything you need, my lady," Vera said.

Victor nodded, looking uncomfortably at Vera. "Cut her free," he said to the men holding her. "She's no threat to any of us now."

Bryce snorted. "It's lucky for you there's a Confessor here," he said to Vera, looking like he still wanted to throttle her. Then he mastered his emotions and turned to Kahlan. "And very, very lucky for me, too," he said. "When I think of what she and this one almost did..." he trailed off, glowering at Will.

"I think we know enough to make a decision about Will, too," Richard said, studying the traitor as though he were a particularly ugly insect.

Victor nodded. He took a long look at Will, who dropped his eyes to the ground under the scrutiny. Victor turned to Glynis. "If you ask me to, I'll spare his life," he said quietly.

Glynis looked stunned. She opened her mouth for a moment, looking into Victor's eyes, then turned her attention to Will. He looked like he might say something, clearly begging her to help him with his eyes, but Richard squeezed his arm, and he stayed silent. Glynis looked back at Victor, and then shook her head. "The man I thought I loved never really existed," she said bleakly. "And he deserves to pay for what he's done."

Victor looked at her for a long moment, then nodded again. He turned to the men guarding Will. "Take him and keep him under guard until…until we're ready."

The men started to drag Will away, and he seemed to be giving up. He went limp, and they staggered, trying to hold him up. Then he pulled hard on one of the men, and when that one went down, he turned and grabbed wildly at the other soldier's sheathed sword with his bound hands. He shoved the man away, and came around with the sword raised before anyone else could grab him.

Richard drew his own sword, but before he could do anything, there was a flurry of movement to his left. He turned to see what it was, and saw something flash. He looked back at Will, who was falling to his knees, looking very surprised. The sword fell from his hands, and he reached up to touch the dagger buried in his chest, then fell to his side and didn't move again.

Vera turned to Kahlan. "I'm sorry, my lady, but he was a threat to you," she said as though she'd just stepped on a spider.

Kahlan stared at her for a moment, trying to take in this turn of events. Beside her, Glynis let out a breath as though she'd been holding it. Kahlan turned to her, but Victor had already taken her in his arms.

"I'm all right," Glynis said, gazing up at Victor, but she didn't seem to mind him holding her. She looked over at Will for a moment, then looked away. "It was a better death than he deserved." Victor led her into the manor, his hand at the small of her back.

"Come on," Richard said, turning to study Kahlan after watching them go. "I don't think you were quite ready to be Confessing anyone just yet."

"I'm fine, Richard," she said, though she knew he was right. She still felt wrung out.

Zedd snorted. "You may be now, but you've a big job in front of you. Remember those forty prisoners? You'll need to do that little routine you did with Vera for each of them."

Kahlan looked dismayed. "Forty?"

Richard nodded. "Forty."

Kahlan sighed. "You know, my head does still hurt a bit."

"Well," Richard said, leading her into the manor, "why don't we see what I can do to help with that?"


End file.
